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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29719704">i will take it all in one breath (and hold it down)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CascadingSilver/pseuds/CascadingSilver'>CascadingSilver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hilda (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(About 4 years post-s2), (Ye Hilda's ace and so are Frida and David even if I don't explicitly state it), (that's what I'm calling this AU btw), Asexual Character, Changeling Hilda (Hilda), Changelings, Currently updating on Fridays, David is unimpressed with his gay disaster friend, Don't copy to another site, F/F, Familiars, Future Fic, Gen, Hilda is a Gay Disaster, Magical Bond, My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Set in Stone AU, Trolls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:48:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>53,938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29719704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CascadingSilver/pseuds/CascadingSilver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It sneaks up on her, this feeling- this warmth in her chest whenever she sees Frida, this lightness in her heart whenever they are around each other. It's... odd, but not unwelcome. </p><p>Hilda just wishes she actually had some time to figure out whatever this is, but OF COURSE Ahlberg's up to something, and there's no rest for the wicked, with that one.</p><p>Or,</p><p>Hilda is a useless lesbian, Frida just wants to know what is up with her Familiar, and Ahlberg is up to no good (as per the usual).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alfur &amp; Hilda (Hilda), David &amp; Frida &amp; Hilda (Hilda), David &amp; Hilda (Hilda), Frida &amp; Hilda (Hilda), Frida/Hilda (Hilda), Gerda Gustav &amp; Hilda (Hilda), Hilda &amp; Johanna | Hilda's Mum (Hilda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>177</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>192</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Woff-Watching with a Side of Witchcraft (and Suspicious Activity)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so it's been about 6 or 7 months since I last wrote fic, but hey!! I'm back at it again, and for a different fandom!! I forgot how much I loved <em>Hilda</em> until I watched s2 when it came out, and boom. New hyperfixation. Anyway, turns out I'm a big Frilda shipper, so uh. Yep. Whole-ass fic of the girls. </p><p>I've actually done some teenage designs for the kids! This does take place, like, four years post-s2, so Hilda and her friends are about 16 in this. Said designs can be found here on my Tumblr (https://autumnalfallingleaves.tumblr.com/post/639703956453572608/ayo-heres-my-take-on-the-kids-as-teens-i-know-it) or here on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJxDsdipOS5/).</p><p>(Title is from <em>Playing Dead</em> by CHVRCHES)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As it turns out, trees provide an excellent place to observe the Woff migration from. Just high enough that you can see them coming over the wall, and low enough that you can’t get in their way.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grins as she counts another dozen. She loves Woffs. They were an ever-present sight back out in the Wilderness, and it’s more than a little nice to see them out here in Trolberg, as well. A constant presence in her whirlwind life.</p><p> </p><p>Even though she and her friends had graduated from Sparrow Scouts into Blue Jay Scouts a few years ago, they still help with the yearly Woff count. According to Raven Leader, they were an “indicator species” and helped the local ecologists ascertain how well the environment was doing.</p><p> </p><p>Adjusting her beret (the one with the feather, which is now blue), Hilda turns away from the spherical animals at a shriek coming from the ground. Well, it looks like David found another Vittra hole. One of her friend’s legs has apparently broken through a thin layer of grass that grew over quite a sizable opening. He’s splayed out on the ground, desperately grasping at tufts of grass to keep himself from falling further into the hole. Frida is looking on, unimpressed. Twig is apparently unconcerned with this development, judging by the way the deerfox is lounging in the sun.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you doing down there, David?” Hilda yells, a smirk in her voice. It’s not that she <em>enjoys</em> seeing her friend struggle, it’s just that this- David half-falling into a Vittra hole- happens every year.</p><p> </p><p>She cackles as David silently flips her off and proceeds to drag himself back onto solid ground.</p><p> </p><p>Frida giggles. “Oh, Hilda, don’t tease him.” She grins. “It’s not <em>his</em> fault he’s got such bad luck!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s not my fault,” David grumbles as he brushes himself off. “just like it’s not Hilda’s fault she has to climb a tree to see the Woffs because she’s so short.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda throws a stick at him.</p><p> </p><p>David goes to pick it up and throw it back, but Frida stops him with a glare. “As fun as it is to watch you two bicker, we are <em>trying</em> to count Woffs. The last thing we need is a repeat of that year with the mechanical bellkeeper.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scoffs in response. That had been a bad counting year, yes, but also: she <em>hated</em> those machines. Literally no sense in keeping everyone- magical or not- up at all hours of the day. Damn Ahlberg.</p><p> </p><p>She’s almost lost in her thoughts, thinking about the toll (heh) those bells could’ve had had they not disabled them, when something tugs at her consciousness. Hilda starts, eyes snapping wide open and glancing at the ground. Frida is staring at her, eyebrow cocked.</p><p> </p><p>“You were thinking loudly again.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs, but there’s no malice behind it. She pushes a feeling of <em>sorry</em> back Frida’s way. This emotion-feeling bond thing between them is new, but certainly not unwelcome.</p><p> </p><p>(According to Tildy, it was customary for a witch and their Familiar to enact a magical bond further than the standard Familiar between them- while thoughts weren’t shared, emotions could be. Feelings were typically consciously passed back-and-forth, but if one person in the bond was feeling a particularly strong emotion, it would be felt by the other, despite any conscious effort to obscure it. A sort-of safety net, Tildy explained. If a witch or their Familiar was in danger, the other could know it almost instantaneously, no matter the amount of distance that separated them. It also helped when preforming spells. Synchrony was key, after all, when a spell required both witch and Familiar.)</p><p> </p><p>It only lasts for a second, but Hilda lets herself get lost in the familiarity of Frida’s presence in her mind. It’s a peaceful thing, and calming to let herself get swept up in the thoughts of her witch. There’s fondness there, and exasperation, and the analytical whirrings that Hilda has come to, over the years, associate with Frida. There’s something else, too, fond and calming and confusing and something else all, she can’t tell what, all tangled up together into something <em>different</em> but it’s not bad <em>what is it-</em></p><p> </p><p>But it’s pushed into the back of Frida’s mind, and no matter how hard she tries, Hilda can’t tell what it is.</p><p> </p><p>Her concentration is broken when a loud horn sounds somewhere behind her. Hilda twists around on her tree branch trying to spot the source of the commotion.</p><p> </p><p>“What <em>was</em> that?” David echoes her thoughts, glancing around. “It kind of sounded like-“</p><p> </p><p>“Safety Patrol.” Hilda grits out, mood changing as quickly as one of Victoria van Gale’s storms. Sure enough, there’s the familiar trucks sporting the emblem of the Trolberg Safety Patrol, trundling by on the road leading out to the Wilderness beyond the wall. Hilda scowls. She doesn’t like the Safety Patrol very much.</p><p> </p><p>Besides setting up the mechanical bellkeepers, they’ve tried to either drive out or flat-out harm the more magical citizens of Trolberg. The Vittra have been some of the most affected, with their tunnels being filled in, but others have suffered as well, like some of the Nisse or the Kracken and her children.</p><p> </p><p>Also, they bell Trolls, which is a whole other issue in and of itself.</p><p> </p><p>The worst offender to Hilda, of course, is the Head Safety Patrol Officer, Erik Ahlberg. He’s been behind all the schemes to drive out the magical, and, worst of all, he’s an egotistical windbag.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda doesn’t like him much.</p><p> </p><p>However, there is an exception to her rule of<em> Don’t trust the Safety Patrol; they’re never up to any good: </em>Deputy Gerda Gustav. She’s the only person in the Safety Patrol with a good head on her shoulders, and she’s proven to be trustworthy time and time again. Gerda’s also the only legal thing standing between Ahlberg and his schemes and citywide destruction, so that earns her some points, at least in Hilda’s book.</p><p> </p><p>(She can’t but think of the time when Gerda asked if she knew who had sabotaged the mechanical bellkeeper system four years back. Hilda, put on the spot, had eventually confessed, but to her surprise, the response had been:</p><p> </p><p><em>“Legally, I cannot condone your actions.” The officer scowled. Hilda grimaced. This was not an ideal situation to be in. The worst-case scenario here was that the Deputy would arrest her for vandalism or whatnot, and </em>that <em>was something Hilda really didn’t want to tell Mum about.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The reprimand she had expected to follow never came, though. She looked up to see a small smile on Gerda’s face.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Personally, however, I think you did a wonderful job.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Hilda grinned.</em>)</p><p> </p><p>Down below her, Frida purses her lips. “Wonder where they’re going.”</p><p> </p><p>“As long as it’s not in Trolberg, I’m fine with it,” Hilda snorts.</p><p> </p><p>David snickers. “I like the Safety Patrol as much as you do, but it really is funny <em>how</em> much you <em>dislike</em> them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well.” Hilda shimmies her way back over to the trunk of the tree and slides down, trying to keep her sash from catching on any wayward branches. “You try being a Changeling and living in a world where the local law enforcement would like to boot you out of the city more than anything else.”</p><p> </p><p>David hums in response.</p><p> </p><p>In the time it’s taken Hilda to come back down to Earth, Frida has started to gather up their things. There are fewer Woffs coming over the wall now, and the rest of the troop has started to pack up as well. She slings her bag over her shoulder and adjusts the bandana around her neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of the Safety Patrol, are you still having dinner with Gerda tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>It’s easy to fall into step with the taller girl. “Yeah. Last I talked to her, she said she wanted to discuss something with Mum and I. Didn’t say what it was, but that’s probably because she was on duty. Can’t exactly plan conspiracy against your own job while you’re <em>on</em> the job!”</p><p> </p><p>“And how do you know it’s conspiracy?”</p><p> </p><p>“She had the look- you know the one? Where she sorta looks around to see if anybody’s listening? That’s only happened when she has something bad to say about the Patrol.”</p><p> </p><p>David tilts his head, walking up on Hilda’s other side. “Like that time she said thank-you for the bell thing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p> </p><p>The three (plus one deerfox) walk for a bit more, chatting about the count and school and whatever else comes to mind. This feels good, being with her friends. It’s like she’s complete.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, the girls say good-bye to David. They’ve got some witch-and-Familiar training Tildy wants them to do at the Witch’s Tower, and David and his parents have an aunt over for the weekend. They wave him farewell at the intersection before the library, and make their way over to the ornate old building. They say hello to Kaisa on their way in and quickly take the stairs up to the secret room.</p><p> </p><p>It always takes a bit to get down to the Witch’s Tower, but Hilda doesn’t mind. It’s fun to look at all the secret rooms, after all. And hold a debate with Frida about what all the symbols on the rugs are for, but that’s a topic for another time.</p><p> </p><p>Tildy’s waiting for them at the bottom, her own Familiar, Cornelius, nestled in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>Their training for today is relatively simple, the sorceress tells them. One will hide somewhere in the Tower, and the other will use their new emotional bond to find them. One should naturally be drawn to the other.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda gets to go first, which elicits a wide, mischievous grin on her face. Frida closes her eyes, and after a count of three, Hilda takes off down the long hall at a sprint, her laughter trailing behind her. Twig is close behind, as he always is, long legs making it so he can easily keep up with her.</p><p> </p><p>(He’s grown in the past four years, as well. He’s up to Hilda’s hip, now, and his antlers are starting to branch out into what will most likely be a magnificent crown. Mum thinks he’s currently having a growth spurt, too. He’s been even hungrier than usual, which Hilda can relate to. She’s only had one growth spurt that she can remember, and she was very hungry during it.)</p><p> </p><p>She slips on the tiled floor as she rounds a corner, calling out various apologies as she and Twig almost crash into several witches. There’s a fair amount of tutting that results from the near-accident.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, she slows. She’s deep into the labyrinthine structure, in a part she’s never seen before. Massive bookshelves tower above the pair, enchanted books randomly flying about as they shelve and re-shelve themselves. The lights are dimmer, but in a comforting way. It’s nice here, Hilda thinks. Quiet. It almost reminds her of the Wilderness in its mysteriousness.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think, boy?” She asks her companion. “D’you think Frida will be able to find us here?”</p><p> </p><p>Twig tilts his head and barks.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I thought. Come on, let’s find somewhere to sit down.”</p><p> </p><p>The two make their way over to one of the book shelves, looking for a short bookcase or a big shelf to wait for the two witches.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda quickly finds a comfy-looking nook, and Twig trots over to lay down next to her. It’s a waiting game, now. <em>So let’s see who wins.</em></p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>It takes about half an hour (a perfect amount of time for a quick nap), but Frida eventually finds them. Hilda’s turn to find Frida, now. She covers her eyes and hears Tildy count to three, then the quickly-receding sounds of Frida’s boots as she takes off back the way they all came.</p><p> </p><p>She chats with Tildy as they set off, saving half a mind to hone in on the tugging feeling in her thoughts. A left, a right, another right, up a staircase, and so on and so forth. The feeling keeps getting stronger and stronger as she walks on, until it’s like a hook in her brain, tugging her towards a hole in a wall about ten feet off the ground. (Now, how in the world did Frida get up there?)</p><p> </p><p>A quick jumping spell later, and Hilda is hanging half-in half-out of the hole. Two brown eyes stare back.</p><p> </p><p>“Ha! Found you!” Hilda crows triumphantly. Frida giggles.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, good job.” She pats Hilda on the head. “Now, do you mind getting us out of here, please?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda clambers the rest of the way into the hole. “Yeah, sure. I’m gonna have to pick you up, though. That good?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course.”</p><p> </p><p>It takes a bit of maneuvering in the small space, but Hilda is eventually able to scoop Frida up into a bridal carry and drop out of the hole, a quick spell cushioning their fall. Hilda may not be a witch, but as a Familiar, she knows a couple of useful spells, such as high-jumping and soft-falling.</p><p> </p><p>She stands up, Frida still in her arms, and goes to blow a lock of flyaway blue hair out of her face when-</p><p> </p><p>A hand softly pushes the lock behind her ear. Hilda glances over to how Frida’s hand has moved her hair for her. It’s… odd. She really hasn’t had this reaction before, this freezing and hyperawareness of her witch and- and-</p><p> </p><p>Is she <em>blushing?!</em></p><p> </p><p>There’s a heat in her cheeks, and that’s bad, why on Earth is she feeling this way-</p><p> </p><p>Hilda abruptly pushes the feeling down. She hasn’t the time for… whatever just happened with herself there. She sets Frida down (much more gently than how she shoved whatever that was down), and dusts her regulation Blue Jay Scout pants off.</p><p> </p><p>“Right! Well, that was excellent, I think!”</p><p> </p><p>Frida raises an eyebrow. “Hilda, your face is red. Are you oka-“</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, fine! Totally fine! Just the exertion, I think. I don’t do spells like that often, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida opens her mouth again, but Hilda bulldozes on, because nope, she’s definitely not going to think about what just happened right there when Frida was in her arms and her hand was right next to her face-</p><p> </p><p>Nope, nope! Not going there! No way!</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Tildy chooses that time to speak up.</p><p> </p><p>“That <em>was</em> wonderful, you two. You have a natural aptitude for using the bond to assist one another.” She folds her hands behind her back, Cornelius now on her head. “Now, let’s get you two back up to the library. There were some books I asked Kaisa to retrieve for you, mostly on fully utilizing the bond.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, no small amount of relief in the action. Thank you, Tildy, for interrupting at the perfect time. She can feel a small amount of confusion from Frida, but sends back a reassurance. Nothing to worry about, after all. Just some weirdness from Hilda, which is normal, really. Everything is fine.</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s still giving her a Look as they move to exit the Tower, but Hilda distracts herself by running ahead with Twig.</p><p> </p><p>The two of them get back to the series of secret rooms soon enough, and thankfully, whatever that feeling had been was gone. Frida and Tildy catch up in a minute, and Hilda can look her witch in the eye again without feeling odd.</p><p> </p><p>“Took you long enough,” Hilda grins, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I think you’re forgetting that we aren’t Changelings with Troll stamina,” Frida fires back, quick-witted as ever. “we can’t run as fast as you do or as far.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm. That’s fair.”</p><p> </p><p>Tildy laughs. “You two really are perfect for each other. Now, don’t forget those books. I want you two to practice some of the exercises outlined and see what works best for you.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” She seems to remember something then, hand stilling from where she’d been patting Cornelius. “Next time you’re over, bring that friend of yours, David or whatever his name is. I’d like to see if he has any magical aptitude.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda cocks her head. “Sure, but why?”</p><p> </p><p>“You three get yourselves into trouble more often than not, so I think it would be a good idea for all of you to have a way to get yourselves <em>out</em> of that trouble. Physical trickery only gets you so far, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s nodding. “You know, that <em>is</em> a good idea. Who knows what will happen in the future,” she glances at Hilda, “when you’re friends with <em>this</em> one.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda smacks her arm in response. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright girls,” Tildy interjects before they can really go at it. “you best be on your way now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. Thank you, ma’am!” Frida waves. “See you tomorrow!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bye!” Hilda adds.</p><p> </p><p>Twig barks and wags his tail.</p><p> </p><p>The door closes behind them, and they start the climb back up.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>“Here.” Kaisa drops the pile of books down in front of them. “These are what Tildy wants you to study.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks!” Frida grins and starts putting them in her bag. She’s <em>way</em> to excited for these, in Hilda’s opinion. Books really weren’t the exciting part about magic. Give her a sword any day. Much quicker to learn, in her experience, and much more fun.</p><p> </p><p>As if sensing her thoughts (which she couldn’t, because she wasn’t her witch), Kaisa gives her a Look. “Tildy wants you to read these, too, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scowls and sighs loudly. “I’d rather not, really.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida pats her arm. “I’ll read them to you, if that’s what will make you stay in one place for once.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda pats Frida’s arm right back. “That sounds wonderful. <em>Thank </em>you<em>,</em> Frida.” This last part is said with a smug glare back Kaisa’s way. The older witch rolls her eyes in response. Twig butts his head against her leg, and Kaisa bends down to give him a scratch behind the ears.</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful with those, either way. They are very old and I do not want to replace them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aye-aye, captain,” Hilda salutes sarcastically. This earns her another eye roll.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever. Oh, Frida.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa pauses and glances around subtly, almost as if she’s looking for someone- or looking out to see if anyone is listening. She lowers her voice. “I am not quite sure what they were looking for, exactly, but some Safety Patrol agents were in here today. They specifically asked for books on witches, and took out some books on spotting them.” She purses her lips. “You be careful, too, Hilda. You use spellcraft as well, and I don’t think Safety Patrol wants to know the difference between a witch’s magic and Familiar and Troll magic.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda frowns. “That’s odd. We actually saw some Safety Patrol trucks leaving the city today. Don’t know where they were going.”</p><p> </p><p>“They were going in the direction of the Huldrewood…” Frida mumbles, tapping a finger to her lips. “I wonder…”</p><p> </p><p>“If they were looking for the Tower,” Kaisa finishes gravely. “yes, so <em>please</em> be careful. We cannot afford to make a mistake if this is what they are looking for. Try to make sure no one is around when you preform a spell.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida nods, a thoughtful scowl on her face. “Absolutely.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda pipes up. “Actually, I’m going to see Deputy Gerda later today. I’ll ask her if she knows anything about this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good. Now get going; I have an entire cart of books I need to re-shelf. I’ll see you later.”</p><p> </p><p>Taking the dismissal for what it is, they thank Kaisa for the books and exit the library. Twilight has fallen in the time they’ve been down in the Witch’s Tower, and the streetlamps are starting to flicker on. Hilda turns to Frida.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, looks like this is where we part.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida grins. “Yes, well. I think today went quite well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Quite.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, and remember to text me what Gerda says? I’m curious to know if she knows what’s up with the witch thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely. Text David, too, would you? He’d probably think the magical ability test or whatever is a bad idea if he hears it from me.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida snickers. “That sounds about right. See you tomorrow?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course. Goodnight!”</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight!”</p><p> </p><p>Familiar waves goodbye to her witch as she and her deerfox begin to make their way home for the night, eager to ask their friend about whatever scheme Ahlberg is up to now.</p><p> </p><p>
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</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dinner and a Discussion of Danger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A confirmation that the Safety Patrol is up to something, a brainstorming of how what they're going can be found out, and a stressed-out Hilda who can't punch her way out of this one.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The fact that I've gotten a lot of hype for this :0 ily all so much!!</p><p>I didn't mean to post again exactly a week from when I posted the first chapter, but I'll see if I can keep a consistent posting schedule lol. Please don't bank too hard on that, though I'll try my best to be punctual!</p><p>I didn't get to post a link to older!Kaisa's design last chapter, but it’s </p><p><a href="https://autumnalfallingleaves.tumblr.com/post/644222903336992768/i-didnt-get-a-chance-to-post-this-earlier-but">here</a> </p><p>on my Tumblr or </p><p><a>here</a> </p><p>on my Instagram. </p><p>I've already done some Changeling!Hilda designs as well! </p><p> </p><p>  <a>(Tumblr)</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a>(Instagram)</a></p><p> </p><p>I’m also going to attempt to start putting the illustrations I do for each chapter at the end of the text, so if it’s a bit messed up at the bottom instead of a picture, that’s why </p><p>(Notes are a bit fucky bc I'm trying to make embedded links work rip. I had to delete the chapter because It got real wonky real quick when I was trying to fix it)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mum! We’re home!” Hilda barges through the door, Twig at her heels. They may or may not have run the entire way home and are covered in sweat.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, sweetie. How was the count?” Mum pushes her chair back from her drawing desk. It looks like she’s working on another commission. Something for the high school Hilda attends, it looks like.</p><p> </p><p>“Good. I counted about thirty-four Woffs, maybe? That’s more than last year. Didn’t see a white one, though. Frida was disappointed.”</p><p> </p><p>Where this statement might have elicited a confused look from her mother a couple years ago, it just produces a nod now. After the whole being-turned-into-a-Troll thing, Hilda had resolved to tell her mother about her escapades. It had been hard, hearing from Tontu and Alfur how badly Mum had reacted to her disappearance.</p><p> </p><p>None of it- getting thrown into the Stone Forest, running from Two-Heads, getting turned into a Changeling- would have happened if Hilda had just told Mum what was going on with her and her friends. If she had just told Mum that Frida was a witch and needed that dust for a spell, they wouldn’t have gotten sucked into the void between Nowhere Space and the real world.</p><p> </p><p>But it’s different now. Mum knows that Frida is a witch, knows that Hilda is her Familiar. She doesn’t keep secrets anymore. Well, secrets that could hurt Mum. That’s already happened, and Hilda regrets all of it.</p><p> </p><p>(Getting weird feelings for her best friend, though? That’s definitely staying a secret.)</p><p> </p><p>“I know you’ve talked about it before, but why are white Woffs important?” Mum starts cleaning up her workstation, shuffling papers together and putting pencils back in their holders.</p><p> </p><p>“Apparently, they’re signs that lunar magic is particularly strong this season. Witch stuff, I guess.” Hilda shrugs and tugs off her beret and bandana. “Anyway, when’s Gerda getting here? I want to clean up before she does.”</p><p> </p><p>“About six-thirty, she said. And,” here, she brushes a bit of dust off from Hilda’s forehead, “cleaning up might be a good idea. What were you even doing during your training, today?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grins, brushing her bangs back from her eyes. “Running around the Witch’s Tower.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum raises and eyebrow, but lets it go. “Alright. How do you feel about chili for dinner?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds wonderful.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum nods and moves to get out the ingredients for the stew. “Go clean up, then would you mind helping me out here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure!” She takes a moment to hang her beret up on the hooks next to the door and shake her hair out of her ponytail, then heads off to her room. Behind her, she can hear Mum call out into the flat for Tontu to help make dinner, as well. The Nisse pops out from under the sofa and waves a greeting to Hilda as she passes (and expertly dodges a lick of hello from Twig- at this point, he’s had years of practice at avoiding overenthusiastic deerfoxes.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda waves back and does a little hop to kick off her boots, flinging them far into the living room. She can almost <em>feel</em> the annoyance radiating off of the Nisse. Good- she can’t have him feeling too comfortable around here.</p><p> </p><p>(It’s all in good fun, though. She and Tontu don’t actually dislike each other. They’ll just annoy each other in a manner that elicits fond eye-rolling from Mum. Hilda’s been told that they act like siblings, which… is actually pretty much what it’s like. Tontu does call Mum “Mom,” and Hilda has found that she really doesn’t mind as much as she thought she would, back when she thought that having a sibling would be terrible.)</p><p> </p><p>She trots down the hall to her room, tugging off her sash and hanging it on the inside of her door as she does. Twig slips through the doorway after her, deftly making his way over to the dog bed they’d bought a little while ago. While Hilda found it most comforting to sleep with the deerfox on her bed with her, he was starting to be a little to big for him sleeping on the bed to be comfortable. They’d both grown, and Hilda’s legs were now too long and Twig too big for it to be comfortable for either of them.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Hilda!”</p><p> </p><p>Now, for anybody else, a very small voice coming from in their room might have been frightening. However, Hilda wasn’t anybody, and thus knew that an elf lived in her room in the little clock-house above her desk. She stands on tiptoe to say hello.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Alfur! How was your day?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, fine. Had a lot of paperwork to file, mostly about the affects of the changing seasons on the local pigeon colonies.”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds… fun, I guess.” She’ll never really understand elves’ obsession with paperwork, but whatever floats your boat.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, it was. Oh, that reminds me!” Alfur quickly rushes back into his little house, returning with a notebook. “How was the Woff count today?”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s paperwork associated with it?” She eyes the notebook.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, quite! They <em>are</em> an indicator species, and the better the count, the better crop growth will be this year. The information is very handy to the elves back in the Northern Counties.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scrunches her nose in thought. “Um, I counted about thirty-four today, David counted forty-one, and Frida said she saw forty-eight? I think. I can ask Raven Leader for the official count, later, if you’d like.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s wonderful!” The elf finishes writing something down with a flourish, closing the notebook with a <em>snap</em>. “My records indicate that that’s more than you three counted last year! And it would be much appreciated if you could get those records. I’ll have to get that report out as soon as possible!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda laughs. Alfur’s enthusiasm is infectious, and, oddly enough, Hilda finds herself excited for the possibility of a better growing season, as well.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m happy to be of assistance.” Hilda gives a small, dramatic bow. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to clean up. I was running around the Witch’s Tower and I’m not exactly fresh as a daisy from that.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s probably for the best, seeing as how we’ll be having company for dinner.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grabs a change of clothes from her bureau and ducks out, closing the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Freshly-showered and dressed in a casual t-shirt and sweatpants, Hilda ties her hair back up into a ponytail as she enters the kitchen. Mum and Tontu are chopping up the vegetables for the chili, Mum mincing a jalepeño pepper and Tontu (who is standing on a stool) carefully dicing some tomatoes. Hilda saunters up next to them.</p><p> </p><p>“Need any help?”</p><p> </p><p>Mum nods. “That’d be lovely. Do you mind measuring out the spices? The recipe book is next to the sink.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure!” Hilda leans over to look at the recipe, mouthing the spices and measurements to herself before opening up the spice cabinet to retrieve the needed ingredients.</p><p> </p><p>The three of them work in companionable silence for a bit, Mum taking care of the things that need the most cutting and the chicken, Tontu dicing most of the vegetables, and Hilda carefully measuring out the spices. Twig joins them when Mum is putting everything in the pot, rubbing his head against Hilda’s hip. She scratches his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, boy. You looking for scraps?”</p><p> </p><p>Mum gives Twig a sideways glance. “Make sure he doesn’t get any raw chicken. The last time he stole some off the counter, we had to bring him to the vet to check for salmonella.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda laughs, ruffling the fur around Twig’s antlers. “You hear that, Twig? No raw chicken for you!” She squats down and presses a kiss to his nose. “Nope, no raw chicken! Raw chicken is very bad for deerfoxes. Do you want to go to the vet again?”</p><p> </p><p>Twig whines and licks her face.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll take that as a no.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum puts the lid on the pot and dusts her hands off. “Well, that’s that. Dinner will be ready in about an hour, I’d say.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glances at the clock hanging in the living room. It’s about six, now. She says as much at loud.</p><p> </p><p>“So that means we’ll be eating at seven?” Tontu hops down from his stool, pushing it back into Nowhere Space when he’s on solid ground.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what it looks like,” Mum puts the cutting board for the chicken in the sink and gets out the bottle of bleach. “Gerda will be here in about half an hour, too.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda wrinkles her nose when Mum opens the bottle, the smell feeling like it’s piercing the back of her throat. She coughs. “Ugh. I hate that smell.”</p><p> </p><p>Tontu hands Mum a sponge. “Then breathe through your mouth.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that simple,” Hilda glares. And it isn’t. She can still smell the bleach. Ever since she’d been turned Trollish, her senses had been heightened. Her eyesight is much better than it ever was (including being able to see better in the dark), her hearing much more sensitive, and her sense of smell is much more refined than the average human. She’s mostly gotten used to it, but occasionally, something will irritate her senses to the point that she’ll get a headache, or, if it’s really bad, a sensory overload. Those are the worst.</p><p> </p><p>(She’s learned how to avoid those, luckily. Hilda keeps a pair of sunglasses on her for the the sunnier days, and a pair of earplugs if it’s particularly noisy. Nothing much she can do for bad smells, though. And bleach is one of the worst offenders. Gives her the <em>worst</em> headaches.)</p><p> </p><p>Mum sighs sympathetically. “I’ll be done in a minute, so hang on, okay? I just need to get the chicken off of these dishes.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grumbles an acknowledgment and flops over the arm of the couch, burying her face in a pillow. She stays that way for a while, only rousing when she hears Alfur, who has apparently emerged from doing reports, asks Mum what happened to her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” she calls out through the pillow. There’s light footsteps, and Twig licks her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodness, you look miserable,” Alfur tuts from where he’s situated himself on Twig’s head. “what happened to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Bleach.” Hilda says by way of explanation. “Smelled bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah.” A tiny hand pats hers. “Well, let’s hope you feel better. It’s almost six-thirty, and you know how punctual Gerda is.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda lifts the pillow from her face and looks at the clock. Six-twenty. She covers her face again.</p><p> </p><p>“I have ten minutes. I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p> </p><p>Different footsteps, now. Heavier.</p><p> </p><p>“If you’re still not feeling great, take some ibuprofen. There’s some in the cabinet above the sink in the bathroom.” Mum smoothes her hand over Hilda’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>She gives her a thumbs-up in response.</p><p>It takes a couple minutes, but Hilda is eventually able to rouse herself, headache finally abating with the ibuprofen she retrieves from the bathroom. She re-ties her hair and smoothes out her shirt.</p><p> </p><p>Her recovery comes not a second too soon, as there’s a knock at the door.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll get it!” Hilda calls, moving to the entryway. She opens the door, the person on the other side a welcome sight.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Hilda,” Deputy Gerda greets, hand raised in a friendly wave. She’s dressed in civilian clothes instead of her uniform, a casual blazer over a turtleneck shirt and jeans. She’s holding a bottle of wine in her other hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Gerda! Is that for Mum?” Hilda steps aside, and Gerda enters the flat. She hangs her blazer on the coatrack.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. I hate to bring bad news so early, but I think it will be needed tonight. Ahlberg is up to something again.”</p><p> </p><p>“When is he not?” Hilda snorts. Gerda silently nods in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Gerda! Welcome.” Mum walks up, a warm smile on her face. The deputy smiles back.</p><p> </p><p>She holds up the bottle. “I brought something for you. I hope you’ll appreciate it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh! Thank you so much-” Mum pauses suddenly. “…This is because you have bad news, don’t you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ahlberg.” Hilda deadpans from the entryway. Mum groans.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, apologies.” Gerda shrugs. “It can wait until after dinner, though, can’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose it can.” Mum still looks pensive, and Hilda can’t blame her. Ahlberg has been a big source of stress for their family, between the attempted driving-outs of the Nisse of Trolberg and the constant persecution of Trolls. They consider themselves lucky that Ahlberg hasn’t yet figured out that there’s a clan of warrior elves living within the wall. Who knows how much vandalism Hilda and her friends would have to commit to drive him away from <em>that </em>endeavor?</p><p> </p><p>“Anyway, how does chicken chili sound?” Mum takes the bottle from Gerda and puts in on the counter. “We have salad, too. What dressing do you like?”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda sits at the table (chili is good, and any dressing they have is fine), and waves hello to Alfur as he jumps up onto the table. She’d signed the necessary forms after the Stone Forest debacle (it was just pragmatic, really; Frida and David had introduced them while they were looking for Hilda, Mum, and Twig. He’d led her to them, after all), and now interacted the elves of Trolberg on a monthly basis. One of her unofficial new jobs, she’d told Hilda, was to check on the Lost Clan every once in a while and see how they were fairing. Ahlberg had no idea that she did this, of course. She did it on her own time, under her own supervision. The elves seemed to like her, as well. Hilda had talked to the Lost Clan, and they said that they appreciated her initiative. The elf that lived in her house, however, appreciated Gerda for her dedication to keeping records, which Hilda supposed was fair. Having two clans of tiny invisible people who liked you was certainly an advantage in certain situations.</p><p> </p><p>They chat for a while more, until the oven timer goes off, and Mum pulls the cover off the pot of chili. The kitchen is quickly filled with the scent of spices and roasted tomatoes. Mum stirs the stew.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, looks this is done. Hilda, can you fetch the salad and the dressing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure!” Hilda stands up from the table, grabbing some forks on the counter before opening the fridge and retrieving the bowls of salad that had been prepared a bit before. She sets those on the table, propping the fridge open with one sock-clad foot so it doesn’t close on her before she has the chance to grab the dressing.</p><p> </p><p>In a minute or two, all the food is laid out on the table, and the five of them (excluding Twig, who shouldn’t eat people food), sit down to dinner. The air is quickly filled with friendly chatter, voices overlapping as laughter and requests for seasonings and butter to be passed are sounded.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, all the food is finished, and all are left with full stomachs and chests that ache with laughter. Hilda stretches, arms reaching high over her head. She leans back in her chair, tilting it onto the back two legs.</p><p> </p><p>“That was excellent. Really wish I wasn’t so full so I could have some more.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, you ate three bowls of chili. I think you’re fine for now,” Mum scolds. Hilda huffs.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not <em>my</em> fault I get so hungry. Blame Amma for turning me into a Changeling.”</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of,” Gerda suddenly objects, like she’s just remembered something. “I need to inform all of you of… recent events.”</p><p> </p><p>And, like a switch is flipped, the mood immediately sobers. Hilda rocks back forward in her chair. Mum props her elbows on the table.</p><p> </p><p>“This is about the Safety Patrol, isn’t it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately so.” Gerda confirms grimly. “Normally, I would not be so concerned, but something big is up. Ahlberg has… <em>something</em> planned, and I am not aware of what.”</p><p> </p><p>“And he hasn’t informed you of his plans? That <em>is</em> odd.” Alfur stands up from the little table he has set up on the larger table, pacing side-to-side. “From my understanding of your position, the Head Officer is obligated to inform their deputy of all goings-on within the Patrol.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly. But-“</p><p> </p><p>“But he suspects that you would try to stop whatever it is,” Tontu pipes up. “he probably knows you aren’t against magical people like he is.”</p><p> </p><p>“And… it’s probably about the witches, isn’t it?” Hilda tugs anxiously on her ponytail. “My friends and I saw some Patrol trucks heading out to the Huldrewood earlier today, because lots of people think the Witch’s Tower is out that way, and Kaisa told Frida and I that some officers had taken out books earlier on identifying witches.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmph. I suspected as much.” Gerda’s tone is grave, a shadow upon her face. “As Head Deputy of the Safety Patrol, I am sworn to protect all citizens of this city- magical or not- from any threat, no matter if it comes from outside or inside the walls.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t have any concrete evidence, I would just like to remind you, but we have a suspicion that Ahlberg is trying to identify the witches who live in this city for some reason. Now, given past instances, I think we can safely assume that this interest is not benign.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like the Trolls,” Hilda says softly. “like witches, most of them don’t want to cause Trolberg- or people- any harm. I know for certain that Amma only wants to keep Baba and I safe, but Ahlberg doesn’t understand that and thinks all Trolls are bad.”</p><p> </p><p>And that’s true. In all the time Hilda has known her adoptive Troll mother and sister, they have not expressed any desire to hurt any humans. When Amma switched them those four years ago, it was only because she knew Baba would be safer as a human, while Hilda could take care of herself in any form.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda nods after Hilda speaks. “The witches, if they live in the city, are citizens just like anybody else. Ahlberg technically does not have the right to persecute any of them on grounds of magic usage if he does not have proof that that usage is not benign.”</p><p> </p><p>“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ here.” Mum speaks up for the first time. She’s been listening quietly so far, a frown darkening her features.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda sighs wearily, and it suddenly looks like the weight of the world is upon her shoulders. Hilda knows how that feels.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>But</em> I can’t do anything. We,” she gestures to the five of them, “all know the Patrol is corrupt. The only reason Ahlberg is Chief is because of nepotism, anyway, not because he’s competent, and most of the officers in the ranks are in it for the power.” Gerda rubs her forehead, pausing for a second. After a moment, she speaks again.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t pretend like I like this job all that much, anymore. I joined because I wanted to protect the people of this city. Now, I’m only still here because I can try to stop Ahlberg’s more dangerous schemes through more legal channels.</p><p> </p><p>“Not that I don’t appreciate what you do,” she directs at Hilda quickly. “you and yours get things accomplished much quicker than I can, and that really is for the best, on some occasions.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum leans in again. “So you’re saying that we need a not-exactly-legal method of finding out what Ahlberg is up to.”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda points a fork at her. “Yes. I do not think at this point that he will tell me what he is planning, if he is this far into whatever it is he is up to that we know about it now.”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur, who has been writing all this down so far, suddenly perks up. “Would spies perhaps work?”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda blinks, confusion writ across her features. “I suppose, but what are you proposing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we know that Ahlberg hasn’t signed any elf contracts- if he had, I believe we would know about it. He isn’t exactly great at keeping magical person sightings to himself, heh.</p><p> </p><p>“So!” He jabs his pen into the air. “I propose that we ask the Lost Clan to keep an eye on him. He won’t be able to see anyone they send, <em>and</em> we elves are small enough, and skilled enough, to keep ourselves under the radar of humans who don’t know we exist.”</p><p> </p><p>A pause, then-</p><p> </p><p>“Alfur, that’s brilliant!” Hilda bangs her fist on the table in her excitement, the dishes and silverware (and elf) bouncing from the impact. “You and the rest of the Northern Counties were able to keep yourselves from Mum and Twig and I when we lived out in the Wilderness for over twelve years, and I would say we’re pretty observant, so why would <em>Ahlberg</em> of all people notice two or three elven spies?”</p><p> </p><p>“It <em>is</em> a good idea,” Gerda muses. “but I don’t think it is a good idea for me to go ask right now. I don’t know if I’m being watched.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me or one of my friends could go,” Hilda offers.</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed,” Alfur agrees. “I’ll go along, too. I know they like you, David, and Frida well enough, but it might be better to propose such a thing with the backing of another elf.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods. She doesn’t know much about elf politics (that’s really more Alfur and Frida’s wheelhouse), but she <em>does</em> know that it’s better to ask something of someone when one of their own is present and on your side. “I’m going to visit Amma and Baba tomorrow night, too, so I could ask them to keep an eye out for any Patrol activity in the forest.”</p><p> </p><p>“That <em>would</em> be helpful.” Gerda smiles. “The more eyes we have, the better.” She turns to Mum. “Johanna, would you be able to keep an eye out in town? I don’t believe Ahlberg really knows who you are, so you have a better chance of seeing something.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do my best, if it keeps my family safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda nods, and Hilda smiles softly and knocks her foot against Mum’s gently. Mum doesn’t really like getting into shenanigans, but Hilda knows she has her back no matter what.</p><p> </p><p>(It also helps that it’s not just one of Hilda’s friends that are threatened by this- by possibly going after witches, Ahlberg is showing that he’d also step up his attempts at driving out other magical beings. Like Nisse.)</p><p> </p><p>Tontu plays with his silverware. “I can see if the Nisse can be on the lookout as well. I know he doesn’t like us, and we know that, but we can get into places he can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum looks worried, but she covers it with a smile. “Just… be careful, dear. I don’t want you getting captured or hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“That goes for both of you, actually.” Mum gives them look filled with warmth and worry. “I don’t want either of you risking yourselves for the sake of gathering information that might not even exist.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda and Tontu nod. They’ve talked about this between themselves, actually. They love Mum, and the last thing they want to do is worry her even more than they already have. It’s easy enough to share a glance that communicates agreement, and nod along. Hilda holds up a hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Scout’s honor that we’ll try our best to stay out of trouble.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum sighs and smiles. She looks better. Less worried. She pats Hilda’s hand. “Well, now that that’s settled, I think <em>someone</em> needs to go to bed early if she wants to go up to the Mountain tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda throws her head back and groans. “Nooo… I’ll be fiiiiiine…”</p><p> </p><p>“No <em>buts</em>, miss. If you want to stay up the whole night, you need to get some rest.”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda laughs at Hilda’s (only slightly exaggerated) sigh. Hilda slides down farther into her seat.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Fine.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. Go brush your teeth, then it’s off to bed with you. Say goodnight to Gerda, and I’ll be in in a few minutes to say goodnight. Tontu, I think it’s time for you to say goodnight, as well.”</p><p> </p><p>The Nisse grumbles, but hops down from his chair anyway and grabs his dishes, popping into Nowhere Space under the table and reappearing on the counter. He sets his dishes down and vanishes back into the pocket dimension. Hilda moves to get up, as well.</p><p> </p><p>“Bleh. Alright. ‘Night, Gerda. It was good to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Likewise.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda stands up, clearing her dishes from her place and setting them in the sink to be washed later. She beckons for Twig to follow her. “‘Night, everyone. See you in the morning!”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a chorus of <em>Goodnight, Hilda!</em>’s from behind her, and she waves before stepping into her room to grab her pajamas.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>After Mum has said goodnight, Hilda lays in bed, staring at her ceiling. She can hear Mum, Gerda, and Alfur chatting in the kitchen, a faint light shining under her door. She sighs and scratches at Twig’s fur. The deerfox is half draped across her, head on her stomach and tail lazily twitching where it’s fallen off the bed. It’s a bit crowded, but Hilda finds that she doesn’t mind. Her head’s too busy to even consider it, really. Everything seems to have happened all at once.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda won’t admit it, but she worries more than she lets on. Ever since she and Mum moved to Trolberg, they’ve been dealing with things that could be considered threats.</p><p> </p><p>(Everything has worked out in the end, though. Like getting a Lindworm to destroy an elf contract, or getting a Barghest back out into the Wilderness, or dealing with Krackens, or even getting turned into a Troll. That last one had worked out great, actually; Hilda had gotten a sister and another mum out of it.)</p><p> </p><p>But still. Those were all things that she could talk (or fight) her way out of. She’d made a bunch of friends that way, as well.</p><p> </p><p>The Safety Patrol is a whole other matter. It’s a legal organization that works for the city. Hilda can’t exactly <em>fight</em> them to make things better. She’d probably end up arrested if she did that. Talking doesn’t work either, especially when it comes to Ahlberg. He’s too wrapped up in his delusions of grandeur to consider that he might be the one in the wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda can’t punch or swordfight her way out of a confrontation with the Safety Patrol, and that stresses her out. This whole thing with the witches being potential targets is stressful. Her best friend is a witch. The absolute <em>last</em> thing Hilda wants is to put her witch in danger-</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, her mind… stills. Quiets. A soothing feeling wraps around her mind, nudging her thoughts into stillness.</p><p> </p><p>Frida.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda takes a deep breath, blowing the air out in a puff as she closes her eyes, heart feeling a little bit lighter as she reaches back, sending a feeling of gratitude back to her witch. It’s always Frida that pulls her back from her spiraling thoughts. It’s only Frida, as well, who knows how deep into her mind Hilda can get sucked on a bad day.</p><p> </p><p>She can feel her friend’s worry, and a feeling of guilt blooms. She hates making her worry like this.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the guilt comes, though, it’s soothed. Hilda can <em>feel</em> Frida’s admonishment, and a questioning note, as well. She reaches back with a soothing feeling of her own. They’ll see each other tomorrow, Hilda hopes she’s communicating. She’ll tell her then.</p><p> </p><p>An acceptance blankets her mind. Hilda smiles, and for a few more minutes, the two let their minds tangle lazily. This is when Hilda is most relaxed: when she can bear herself to the person she loves most dearly in this world, and be fully accepted with no strings attached. Yes, Hilda and Frida have had their rocky moments, but those have all been overcome. They’re a unit, now, two halves of a whole, and Hilda wouldn’t give that up for anything.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Hilda feels Frida fall asleep, her thoughts stilling and fading into disjointed emotions that ebb and flow like the tide.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda quietly lets her thoughts retreat, and snuggles into her pillow. The feeling remains though, the one that always comes with getting lost in each other’s minds like that. A warmth in her chest settles and soothes her, and her chest is filled with lightness. She can’t help the smile that creeps onto her face. How can one person make her so happy? How can one person, who she’s only known for four or five years, make her feel so at home?</p><p> </p><p>How can she love one person so deeply?</p><p> </p><p>Hilda lets that thought brew for a moment, a slight heat rising in her cheeks. <em>Love…</em></p><p> </p><p>After a minute or two, she sighs. She <em>still</em> doesn’t know why she blushes at the thought of her friend. Perhaps it’s some Familiar thing Tildy forgot to tell her.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda rolls over and rubs at Twig’s ear. Whatever. She’ll try to figure it out tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>In no time at all, Hilda drifts off to sleep, the gentle lullaby of voices in the kitchen rocking her mind into sleep.</p><p> </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Did some outfit design for Gerda, too:</p><p> </p><p>  <a>(Tumblr)</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a>(Instagram)</a></p><p>Edit: I figured out how to add the illustrations I do for this!!</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. In Which the Obvious is Realized and Allies are Gathered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Hilda experiences a rude realization of what she's feeling, David sees if he has any magic, and spies are recruited.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter, man. It just didn't want to be written. The ending is super awkward because I had no idea how to end it rip. But I did get to write some gay panic, so that was fun! lol</p><p>If y'all hadn't noticed yet, I've started putting my illustrations at the bottom of each chapter! The first and second ones have already been uploaded, and there will be one for this one, as well. It takes me a few minutes to put it on after I upload the chapter because I have to post the illustration to my Tumblr first and upload it from there, but there will be one, I promise.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Hilda, Alfur, and Twig meet up with David outside of Hilda’s house. Frida had indeed wrangled their friend into coming to training with them and testing any possible magical aptitude he had. Alfur, upon hearing this, had insisted upon coming along to record the happenings, notebook at the ready.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda adjust her beret as she closes the door behind her. Twig stretches and shakes himself out as he followers her, mouth wide open in a yawn, formidable teeth on display. David stuffs his hands in his pockets.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe you got me into this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse you, but <em>I</em> didn’t. It was Frida. You wouldn’t have even <em>considered</em> it if I’d asked you to come along.”</p><p> </p><p>David tilts his head. “Yeah, that sounds about right. You asking me to do something magical usually ends in disaster.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda kicks him in the shin. “<em>That’s literally not what happens most of the time-</em>“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Yes it totally is-</em>“</p><p> </p><p>“Children, children, calm <em>down!</em>” Alfur pipes up from his perch upon Hilda’s shoulder. “This is an unproductive conversation! Yes, we do get pulled into adventures more often then not, but my records do indicate that only 14% end in disaster.” He pats his notebook approvingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Alfur,” David sighs. “okay, maybe not <em>everything</em> you pull me into ends badly, but there’s still a lot of danger involved, so you can’t blame me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, fine. <em>Maybe</em> you have a point.”</p><p> </p><p>(He totally has a point, but Hilda would never concede that to him. She still has her dignity, thank you very much.)</p><p> </p><p>“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s get a move on, shall we? We don’t want to keep the arch-sorceress waiting too long!” The elf puts his notebook back into his satchel and grabs a handful of Hilda’s scarf to keep steady. The four of them start to move down the street. Hanging back, Hilda takes a moment to subtly glance up and down the road. Kaisa had told them to be careful when going to the library, and that is even more important to keep in mind after last night’s revelations. Luckily, there’s no one else currently on the street.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to the library, right?” David slows a little to let Hilda catch up. His legs are much longer than hers, considering that he’s about six feet tall now and Hilda has topped out at five feet four inches. She hurries to catch up.</p><p> </p><p>“Yup! There’s a bunch of empty rooms the witches use for training and stuff. Last time Frida and I were trying some new spells at Tildy’s, we… kinda blew up one of her bookcases.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oof.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re meeting Frida there, too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, on her shoulder, there’s an offended gasp at the mention of the blown-up bookcase. Hilda smothers a giggle.</p><p> </p><p>They walk for a bit more before David speaks again. “So Frida told me Tildy wanted to know if I could do magic, but she didn’t say why?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks up at him. “Well, with what we do, Tildy wants us all to be able to keep ourselves safe. And because we deal with a lot of magic, she wants to know if <em>you</em> can defend yourself with magic, because Frida and I already are able to.”</p><p> </p><p>David blinks. “That’s… actually a pretty good idea.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well,” the Changeling punches her friend’s arm. “we wouldn’t want to leave our best friend in the dust.”</p><p> </p><p>David smiles at her, and there’s a tinge of gratefulness in it. Hilda grins back.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Hilda feels Frida before she sees her. As they round the second-to-last corner before the library, there’s a familiar brush against her thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>“Frida’s waiting for us,” she throws back at David before quickening her step. Twig, ever quick-footed, trots on ahead of them and disappears around the last corner. Hilda and David round the last building, their eyes immediately drawn to the head of curly black-and-dyed-blue hair waiting at the steps of the library. Frida waves to them.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, guys,” she greets when they get within hearing range. “you ready?”</p><p> </p><p>“I still don’t quite know what you want me to do but yeah,” David shrugs.</p><p> </p><p>“Just a magical aptitude test. It’s relatively simple. Tildy will have you read off a couple of spells and see if any of them do anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s… better than I expected.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida tilts her head, blue strands of hair catching the sunlight. Hilda can’t help but stare. Her mouth moves, and, oh, she’s speaking now-</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what did you expect?” She’s saying, and <em>wow</em>, Hilda <em>really</em> got distracted there for a minute. (But why…?)</p><p> </p><p>David shuffles. “I dunno. Some sort of dangerous, do-this-or-you’ll-die sort of trial? Something Hilda would think was fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hey-</em>“</p><p> </p><p>“She would, wouldn’t she?” They’re literally talking over her head now. <em>Why must she be so short?</em></p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hellooooo, I’m right here.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, we know.” Frida gives her a coy look and adjusts her beret. (Was it crooked?) “You’re just fun to poke fun at.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda pouts, ignoring the heat rising into her cheeks. “Am not.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida shrugs. “Are too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Am not-“</p><p> </p><p>Twig and Alfur’s heads are moving back and forth between the two like it’s a tennis match. David must finally get fed up with them because he stops their bickering short by bopping them lightly on the heads.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Guys. </em>Isn’t Tildy waiting for us?”</p><p> </p><p>“…Yes. Yes, she is.” Frida takes a moment to recover, standing up straight and smoothing out her coat. “Shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>David gestures, and the five start up the stairs. Frida’s a little bit ahead, Hilda hanging back some. It feels like her cheeks are <em>still</em> red, and she really doesn’t want Frida noticing… for some reason. She shakes her head to try to clear the confusion, and David gives her a questioning look. He squints.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, are you blush-“</p><p> </p><p><em>Shit! </em>“Ssshhh! Sh-sh-sh!” She frantically slaps a hand over David’s mouth. “No! Absolutely not!”</p><p> </p><p>“Goodness, you’re redder than a tomato!” Alfur chortles, and Hilda glares at him.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Shush!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>David bats her hand away and, oh no, there’s smirk growing. “Oh, you totally are! You’re <em>so</em> red right now!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glances up at Frida in a panic. Oh, thank <em>god;</em> she hasn’t noticed the commotion.</p><p> </p><p>David opens his mouth, glee in his eyes, and Hilda’s wishes for nothing more in this instant than for the ground to swallow her whole. “Hilda, do you have a cr-“</p><p> </p><p>“HEY WE’RE FALLING BEHIND AND WE SHOULD CATCH UP!” Hilda desperately yelps over him, whipping around and taking the steps two at a time. She can feel Alfur grab her scarf in a panic to keep from falling off, and she feels a little bad, but also she had to get away from whatever David was going so say so the guilt is kind of canceled out. She passes Frida quickly at the top of the stairs and opens the door with a little more strength than was intended, the door almost hitting the wall before Hilda can grab it. She very pointedly does not look at Frida.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s do this, shall we?” Hilda tries to affect an air of nonchalance, leaning against the door and trying her best to make her heart stop beating so hard. David snickers from where he’s now standing behind Frida. The witch gives them both questioning looks, but thankfully doesn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, if you’re okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods a bit more vigorously than is probably normal. “Yep, totally alright! Just, uh, excited!” She can see David rolling his eyes behind Frida. She shoots him a venomous look as soon as Frida turns her head.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda kicks him in the shin again as he passes through the door. The giggling that follows only darkens the red in her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What is going on with me?!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tildy is waiting for them at the circulation desk, quietly chatting with Kaisa. The arch-sorceress clasps her hands in delight when she finally notices the trio.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, wonderful! You were able to bring him!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hullo, ma’am,” David greets respectfully. He hasn’t really met Tildy properly, but Hilda knows he’s heard all the stories Frida has told about how powerful of a witch she is. Hilda herself gives a wave.</p><p> </p><p>Frida gestures to the taller boy. “Ma’am, this is David. You wanted us to bring him in for an aptitude test?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, yes, of course.” Tildy adjusts her glasses. “Now, dear, did the girls explain to you why you’re doing this?”</p><p> </p><p>David rubs his neck. “Um, it was because I need to defend myself from magical creatures, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly! I’ve heard that you three- and your friends- get yourselves into a lot of trouble,” she glances none-too-subtly at Kaisa, who at least has the decency to look a little embarrassed for ratting them out. Hilda scowls at her, but there’s no heat behind it. Tildy continues. “and since Frida here is my apprentice and Hilda her Familiar, they already know quite a lot of spells to defend themselves in… complicated situations, shall we say. However, having their friend not being able to hold his own in those situations just won’t do. You should at least know how to get yourself out of danger that you can’t handle.”</p><p> </p><p>It may be because Tildy has a warm, grandmotherly demeanor, or because she just radiates a sort of power that makes you feel safe around her, but Hilda can swear that David visibly relaxes at the arch-sorceress’ words. It puts her at ease, too. She’s had more than a few stress-fueled conversations with Frida about the topic of their best friend being so vulnerable. The fact of the matter is that she and Frida can both defend themselves. Frida is a witch, and a powerful one at that, and Hilda is a human and a Troll and a Familiar. Magic is essentially part of her very being.</p><p> </p><p>David, though?</p><p> </p><p>David is human. Very, very human. The most normal person Hilda’s ever met, in fact. He’s the one that keeps her and Frida grounded when they go out adventuring. Hilda would be remiss to not acknowledge that he’s stopped her from doing a few things that could have gotten her killed.</p><p> </p><p>But… because he’s just human, he’s the most vulnerable out of all of them. He’s a human in a group of witches and Trolls and elves and Nisse and deerfoxes and he could get <em>hurt</em> if a situation goes south quickly.</p><p> </p><p>So Hilda- and Frida, she can feel- are both received at the opportunity for someone they care for being able to learn to defend themself. They don’t want to lose their best friend.</p><p> </p><p>David sticks his hands in his pockets bashfully. “Um, thanks. For, uh, trying to keep me safe. I appreciate it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no problem, dear.” Tildy waves her hand. “This is something that would have come up eventually, so it’s best to get it over with now, when we’re not all running around like headless chickens.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida and Kaisa each raise a brow while Hilda stifles a giggle. That’s one way of putting it, to be sure.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda wonders if she knows something about the Safety Patrol situation. She’ll have to ask later.)</p><p> </p><p>With a sigh, Kaisa straightens and waves her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Alright, now get on with all of you. This is a library, not a convention hall. Go do your magic tests somewhere else.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, let’s get this over with,” David agrees. He’s got one hand on Twig’s head, running his hands through the soft, white fur. A nervous tic, Hilda knows. As calming as Tildy’s speech may have been, Hilda has known David for long enough to recognize that he’s still a bit apprehensive about this whole deal. There’s a shuffling on her shoulder, and she cranes her neck to glance at the elf, who is furiously scribbling something in his notebook.</p><p> </p><p>“We haven’t even started yet, Alfur. What are you even writing?”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur takes a moment to steady himself as Hilda starts to follow Tildy up the stairs to the secret room. “Well, Hilda, since this is the first time, to my knowledge, this sort of test has even been performed on a previously nonmagical human, I want to record every single bit of it! For the records, of course. Who knows how helpful this information could be in the future?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda waits a moment to get out of earshot of the regular library patrons to respond. She may be a bit wild, but she doesn’t want to look crazy. “That makes sense, I suppose.”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur hums in agreement and jots down another note.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>They stand in one of the more secluded rooms in the Witch’s Tower, down near the bottom. It was a training room, Tildy had said, bare of books that could be easily damaged by witches practicing new spells. Hilda, Frida, Alfur, and Twig sit at the edge of the room, near the door. Tildy is on the outside of a circle carved into the ground. David stands in the middle of the circle, a spellbook in his hands. He looks nervous.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright dear,” Tildy starts. “I want you to read that first spell. Remember to enunciate clearly!”</p><p> </p><p>David gulps, but starts reciting the words. His voice is shaky, and he hesitates on some of the more complicated verses. Frida nudges Hilda’s arm.</p><p> </p><p>“This one is pretty simple. It’s a rain shower spell.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the one that makes a little storm in the room?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Not harmful at all, and it’s very easy to learn. It’s one of the first Tildy taught me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cool.”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely <em>fascinating.</em>” Alfur mumbles from Twig’s head. The deerfox has decided, in the meantime, that this is all quite boring and is now taking a nap. His ears flick whenever the elf paces about. “Are witches always taught water spells early on?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Frida taps her chin. “usually, we’re taught simple elemental spells first, like summoning rain or fire. I read that this is because a witch should always be able to manipulate her environment to her advantage, no matter the situation.”</p><p> </p><p>“That makes sense.” Hilda stretches out on the ground and closes her eyes. Maybe Twig has the right idea. She does crack one eye open, however, to see how David is doing. He’s finished the spell, and is, well. And is just standing there, no rain shower to be seen. David’s face is scrunched up, though, like he expects something to jump out of thin air and hit him. Frida notices as well.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re fine, David. If something was going to happen, it would’ve by now.” She calls. David slowly unscrunches his face.</p><p> </p><p>“So… nothing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah.” Hilda calls out from her horizontal position. She’s tugged her beret over over eyes at this point as well. “It would’ve started raining if it worked. Or you would’ve been turned into a bug.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh, she has <em>absolutely</em> heard the story of how Frida accidentally turned Ahlberg into a bug. Best thing to have happened to him yet, in her opinion.</p><p> </p><p>Frida pokes her hard in a stomach and sends a feeling of <em>Not funny, Hilda</em> her way, but all Hilda does is curl up into a ball to get away from the poking and giggle. It <em>was</em> funny, okay?!</p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t have been turned into a bug!” Frida yells over Hilda’s laughter. “That only happens when a more complicated spell backfires!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda almost misses David’s grumble of “Well <em>that’s</em> good to know,” but because she does hear it, she’s sent into another peal of laughter. Frida swipes her beret and throws it at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, you, settle down. We still have to get through the test.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, indeed!” Tildy chirps. “David, that was a wonderful first attempt! Now, let’s see how well you fair with the rest.”</p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>David manages to cast absolutely zero spells. There’s not even a shudder of magic when he finally starts to recite the incantations correctly.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda, who took a short nap, is now sitting up, and can see that David honestly looks relieved. He’s talked to Hilda about watching Frida start her training, and it, in his words, looked like the most stressful thing he’d even seen. Also: he was <em>there </em>for the Bug Incident. He would very much prefer to <em>not</em> be turned into a bug, thank you very much.</p><p> </p><p>…Hilda kind of has to agree with him on that one.)</p><p> </p><p>Tildy is talking to him now. She hands him a book. “Now, even though we have confirmed that you don’t have any inherent magical ability, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to perform spells. In this book are instructions for creating magical charms- talismans that store power that you can activate, even though you can’t create the magic yourself. Frida, dear, this is good practice for you as well.”</p><p> </p><p>The witch-in-training stands and brushes off her coat. “Oh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, come here. Now, see,” the arch-sorceress opens the book and points to an illustration, “when a charm or talisman is created, a witch can imbue it with the spell that it is designed for. This way, a non-witch can utilize that power whenever they need to. Your assignment is for David to create a charm, and for you to imbue it with your magic.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, look, David.” Frida points to something in the book. “An anti-anxiety charm. I bet you could really benefit from that one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Heh, yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Frida, David, I want you two to try and create an assortment of the charms outlined in this book. Start with the most basic and get a feel for the process. When you have created at least four, David, come to training with Frida and Hilda. I want to see how well you did.”</p><p> </p><p>David nods. “I can do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good.” She pats his arm. “I can already tell you’re a good student. Now,” Tildy pulls out her wand. “Frida, I want you to show me how much you’ve progressed on your levitation spells.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida moves to stand in the middle of the circle on the ground and pulls out her wand. It’s still the old wooden peg Hilda had pulled from that shipwreck when they were trying all those years ago to prove the Lindworm innocent of sinking ships. She gestures, and an orb of blue magic appears at the tip.</p><p> </p><p>While Frida starts her training, David sits down next to Hilda and exhales loudly. She punches his arms lightly. “Nice job.”</p><p> </p><p>“…Are you being sarcastic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not really. You actually read some of those harder spells correctly the first time ‘round. I remember how frustrated Frida got when she couldn’t get those right even after trying a couple of times.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh. Thanks, I guess?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t mention it.”</p><p> </p><p>They watch Frida for a while, Alfur occasionally asking David questions for his report. Hilda scratches Twig’s scruff. She watches the magic dance between Frida’s fingers as she casts spell after spell, deftly weaving the magic into as many forms as she pleases. It runs through her hair, tugging at the curls, casting her head in a halo of blue. Her warm brown eyes shine bright when she gets a spell right, and Hilda finds she can’t look away. Magic is at Frida’s beck and call, and Hilda feels an answering pull deep within her soul.</p><p> </p><p>She’s so zoned out that it takes a minute to register that David is waving his hand in front of her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Helloooo, Earth to Hildaaaa,” he says, poking her cheek. She swats him away.</p><p>“What?!”</p><p> </p><p>He stares at her incredulously. Hilda stares back. David narrows his eyes. “I was <em>trying</em> to ask you a question.”</p><p> </p><p>“And does that question involve <em>poking</em> me?!”</p><p> </p><p>“No, but you weren’t listening.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, but don’t <em>poke</em> me to get my attention.”</p><p> </p><p>David flails his arms, exasperated. “What else was I supposed to do?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, but poking isn’t it!”</p><p> </p><p>He throws his head back and groans. “Okay, <em>fine</em>. Can I ask you a question now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure. Fine. Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda instantly regrets that statement when David gets a gleam in his eye. Oh no. <em>Please</em> don’t let this be about earlier.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on between you and Frida?”</p><p> </p><p>Dammit.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing. Nothing is happening.” Hilda retorts. Because there <em>isn’t</em> anything. Her Familiar magic is just acting up. That’s it.</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t <em>seem</em> like nothing. You were <em>bright red</em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well, it’s my Familiar magic being odd. That’s what’s up.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Blushing</em>. Because your magic is ‘acting up.’” David’s eyebrows are raised virtually into his hairline and Hilda hates it. “That doesn’t sound right.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, then I don’t know what to tell you. Because that’s all that’s happening between Frida and me. My magic is acting odd and that’s it.”</p><p> </p><p>That’s not it, and Hilda knows it. She’s acting weird around Frida because her feelings are all jumbled up and she doesn’t know why. Not that she’ll ever admit that, of course. The best course of action is to just ignore whatever these feelings are and hope that they go away soon enough.</p><p> </p><p>David doesn’t appear to be convinced, unfortunately. He’s staring at her. Hilda adjusts her scarf and coughs awkwardly. “What.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s bullshit and you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“What? No-“</p><p> </p><p>“You know what I think?” He plows on ahead, and no, please shut up, David-</p><p> </p><p>“I think you have a <em>crush</em> on Frida!”</p><p> </p><p>What.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>No, that’s not it, that can’t <em>possibly</em> be it, she would <em>know </em>if she had a crush on her best friend, who happens to also be her witch, who also happens to be a very powerful witch who is also very pretty-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh no.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>No, no, no.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She has a crush on Frida.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>When did this happen?! Who allowed this to happen?!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>David must notice her growing distress, because he cackles and oh, how Hilda wishes she knew a spell to shut someone up because this is terrible and David is making fun of her.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god, you <em>do</em>,” he wheezes. “look- look at your face- Alfur, look at her! She’s so red, I’m-“</p><p> </p><p>David, the jerk that he is, falls on the ground, the force of his laughter rendering him unable to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut <em>up</em>,” Hilda snaps. “I do <em>not</em> have a crush on Frida.”</p><p> </p><p>“On the contrary, my dear, all evidence <em>does</em> point to you having a crush,” Alfur, the traitor, is laughing too. He marks something down in his notebook. “David is correct, I’m afraid.” He doesn’t look regretful at all. In fact, the elf looks delighted, and Hilda just kind of wants both of them to go away right now. She’s having a bit of a crisis, here, okay? Leave her alone.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Frida’s training session is almost over. In the meantime, Hilda tries to get over her crisis (which isn’t easy, because the realization of having a crush on <em>Frida</em> is a very prominent thought right now, and it won’t go away, so she just stuffs it down), and get that damned blush off her face. She resorts to stuffing her head in Twig’s side so David and Alfur, who are still laughing at her, can’t see her red face.</p><p> </p><p>She is thankfully mostly back to normal by the time the arch-sorceress and witch wrap up. Hilda shoots her “friends” a Look before Frida can walk over and see their grins.</p><p> </p><p>“Not. A word. Of this.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you do admit-“</p><p> </p><p>“No I don’t! You two are just being embarrassing and I don’t want you to make things awkward.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, fine,” Alfur shrugs. “but it really would be best if you told her-“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I don’t have a crush on Frida!</em>” Unfortunately, that comes out louder than intended, and Hilda clamps a hand over her mouth. Panicked, she glances Frida’s way.</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh, thank god,</em> it doesn’t look like she heard that. Hilda releases her mouth with a sigh. She smoothes out her vest and adjusts her beret and hopes to everything she looks like she didn’t just realized something huge.</p><p> </p><p>Frida catches her eye and gestures her over.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Keep it cool, Hilda. Act natural.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, come here? I wanted to tell Tildy about the news Gerda shared.”</p><p> </p><p>“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure.” Hilda puts a mental block over any blush that might try to appear and ambles on over. She stuffs her hands in her pockets and tilts her head to the side.</p><p> </p><p>“I talked to the Deputy of the Safety Patrol yesterday, and she said that Ahlberg is definitely up to something, but he won’t tell her what. She suspects it’s got something to do with the witches, though, because we’ve discouraged him from going after the Trolls.”</p><p> </p><p>Tildy nods. “That does make an unfortunate amount of sense. I don’t know him personally, but that man is certainly someone who will do anything to bring attention to himself. Do you know if he has anything specific planned?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gerda didn’t know, but Kaisa told Frida and me and some Patrol agents took out books on detecting witches.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida nods, and Hilda makes a conscious effort to look natural when she looks at the witch. It’s hard, though, and that’s stupid but her feelings just won’t give her a break. “And that’s bad for all of us. Unfortunately, I don’t think Kaisa has any other copies of those, but do you know of any way to detect witches, ma’am?”</p><p> </p><p>Tildy hums. “Fortunately, it is very hard to tell a witch from a nonmagical person if you don’t see that witch cast a spell. However,” she holds up a hand and Hilda can feel the relief that has bubbled up pop, “it isn’t impossible. If someone suspects a person of being a witch, they would have to recite an incantation in close proximity to the suspected witch. If it works, the witch’s magic will become visible.” Tidy sighs. “It’s very unfortunate that those books fell into the Safety Patrol’s hands. We witches have kept ourselves secret for many years to keep safe, and that all could be threatened by one man who doesn’t know when he should just keep to himself.” This last bit is said with an old-lady scowl, but one that conveys how unhappy the arch-sorceress is with the whole situation.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda kicks at the ground. “You don’t have to tell me twice. It’s hard enough trying to keep him away from the Trolls, but witches are worse, actually. You guys are witches and you’re some of the best people I know. You haven’t done anything to deserve this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Frida says, brows furrowed kindly, “whatever happens, we’ll get through it. We’ve foiled them before, and we can do it again. She takes Hilda’s hand in her’s gently, and the Changeling is acutely aware of Frida’s warm skin against her own, the softness of her grip, the way she holds Hilda’s hand and grounds her to this Earth.</p><p> </p><p>She sighs.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right. Of course we’ll get through this.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m very right,” Frida corrects, laughing. “and maybe you’ll even get to do some more vandalism.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grins, and it’s sharp. “That’s the best part.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>After all the training’s finished, Hilda, Alfur, and Twig bid farewell to Frida and David at the bottom of the library steps. David had tried to get her to admit she had a crush on the way back up, but Hilda, despite all her jumbled feelings, had stuck by Frida’s side to ward him off. He’d kept staring at the back of her head, though. Having heightened Troll senses also meant she could really pick up on when someone was giving her the once-over. She also may have tripped him at one point.</p><p> </p><p>They had said goodbye to Kaisa as they passed her desk, Tildy staying behind to brief Kaisa on the Patrol situation. David had thanked Tildy for the lesson on his way out, tucking the charm book close to his side.</p><p> </p><p>He and Frida had left together after texting his parents he’d be at Frida’s for the afternoon, the two deciding to get a head start on the charms. The remaining three have decided to head over to the Lost Clan to ask for their assistance concerning surveillance on Ahlberg.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda starts off towards the east side of the wall, whistling for Twig to follow. The deerfox falls into step beside her, hooves clicking lightly on the sidewalk pavement. Hilda inhales deeply, looking up at the sky.</p><p> </p><p>“Alfur, d’you think they’ll agree to help us?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Lost Clan? Yes, quite honestly. You’re one of their favorite humans.” He’s behind her ear, now, the weather having cooled enough to warrant looking for somewhere a bit warmer to travel, such as in Hilda’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hums, letting her eyes chase the leaves being blown about by the wind. It’s a peaceful autumn day, all things considered. It makes it feel like everything is right with the world, and not like the Safety Patrol is potentially cooking up a scheme to expose her witch- her best friend- and all her fellows in the city. They walk a bit more before Hilda says,</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think Frida will be alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur takes a moment to answer, Hilda able to hear him readjust his footing before he speaks. “While I certainly hope so, you can never be sure with people like Ahlberg. He’s just too unpredictable to be able to accurately assess the likelihood of him carrying out an action. It might be something completely ineffectual, or it might be something very dangerous that we should do our best avoid. It’s really too soon to tell, at this point. We don’t have enough data on the subject to make an accurate prediction.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda slows for a moment. “That makes sense. I’m just… I’m worried. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her- or Kaisa or Tildy, for that matter.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, she <em>is</em> your witch,” Alfur agrees, patting comfortingly at her ear. “it’s understandable that you would feel that way. I was reading that one of a Familiar’s chief duties is to protect their witch at any cost. I’ve known you for enough time to say that you would do that for Frida, even if you <em>weren’t</em> her Familiar.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong. She’s my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“And possibly something else, eh?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s thoughts come screeching to a halt, cheeks turning red in an instant. She’d actually managed to put <em>those</em> confusing thoughts out of her mind for a bit, as focused on getting help with the current situation as she was. <em>Dammit, Alfur, why’d you have to remind me?!</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda grits her teeth. “No. She’s just my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“All evidence points to the contrary,” the elf says in a teasing, sing-songy voice, repeating his earlier words.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>No, it doesn’t.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“You should just tell her!” Alfur wheedles. “I’m quite sure she feels the same, so it wouldn’t hurt to-“</p><p> </p><p>“What? No. Frida doesn’t feel the same,” Hilda interrupts. What a preposterous notion. Frida? Crushing on <em>Hilda?</em> That’s ridiculous. Why would someone like Frida have a crush on someone like Hilda? “We’re best friends and nothing more. I certainly don’t have a crush on her, and even if I did, <em>and I don’t</em>, I wouldn’t tell her. That would mess up our friendship and I don’t want to do that.”</p><p> </p><p>She’s already experienced not being Frida’s friend after the whole Frida’s-favorite-book-got-stolen-so-Hilda-wrestled-a-ghost incident, and she very much does <em>not</em> want a repeat of that, thank you very much. That was bad enough, back when she wasn’t Frida’s Familiar, but now? When she <em>is</em> Frida’s Familiar? It would be excruciating.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, fine, keep up your denials. They won’t do you any good, after all.</p><p> </p><p>“But if you tell her-“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>No.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, if you say so.”</p><p> </p><p>No more words are spoken on the rest of way to the wall’s perimeter. Hilda is left to stew in her thoughts. Okay, she’ll admit that she does have a crush. That would explain all the weird feelings. But actually <em>telling</em> the subject of the crush that she has a crush on her? No way.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda does her best to shield these thoughts, as well. She doesn’t want Frida worrying about all the confusion going on in her head. Also, if she knew, she’d be able to get Hilda to tell her what’s going on, and that is something Hilda dreads, so yeah. She’s shielding her thoughts for the sake of her and Frida’s friendship.)</p><p> </p><p>The wall comes into sight quickly, and Hilda makes her way over to the crack in the brickwork.</p><p> </p><p>Now, to anyone else, there would only be a collection of stones and some plants. However, to someone who has signed an elf contract, there’s actually much more. Several small houses dot the surrounding area, and tiny figures bustle about. Rabbits, fitted with elf-sized harnesses, graze on the grass near the wall.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Hilda gets close, a commotion swells as the elves of the Lost Clan notice her. There’s several little cries of “Hilda!” and “Look, it’s the blue-haired human!” Alfur taps at Hilda’s ear, and she holds a hand up to the side of her head so he can jump on. She kneels and lowers him to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, everyone,” she greets with a smile and a wave. There’s suddenly a flurry of wings above her, and Hilda looks up to see a pigeon circling the area. It quickly dives and lands gracefully in front of the visiting three. A tiny figure hops off.</p><p> </p><p>“Hail, friends!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bartell! Hello!”</p><p> </p><p>Bartell Bragga, leader of the Lost Clan, brandishes his spear in a salute. “What brings you here to our village today?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, funny story, heh.” Alfur pipes up. He adjusts the strap of his bag awkwardly. “We are, well. I should probably start at the beginning, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“This sounds like quite the tale you’re going to tell,” Bartell plants the butt of his spear in the ground. “should we all sit?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, it’s not that long of a story,” Alfur sounds apologetic. “more of an update, shall we say.”</p><p> </p><p>The leader of the Lost Clan nods, and Alfur continues. “In the past couple of days, we’ve noticed increased activity with the Safety Patrol. Are you aware of this?”</p><p> </p><p>“Aye. The Patrol’s vehicles have been more active outside of the walls. We’ve received reports from several of our pigeon riders that they’ve been scouring the Huldrewood. For what, we don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I know.” Hilda scowls, ripping up some blades of grass in her frustration. “So you know how the Patrol’s stopped going after Trolls as much?”</p><p> </p><p>Bartell perks up. “Indeed! It was your valiant efforts to drive them off! You defeated them in combat!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, not exactly, but yes. They’re not going after Trolls as frequently as they used to because we’ve been discouraging them. However,” she sighs. “we think they’re going after witches now. The librarian told me that some officers took out books on how to spot a witch, and Deputy Gerda says she knows Ahlberg’s up to something new. She doesn’t know what, though. He won’t tell her.”</p><p> </p><p>“And that’s why we’re here!” Alfur finishes. “We need to get information on what Ahlberg is doing, but Gerda can’t do anything because Ahlberg is suspicious of her. Therefore, we think it’s best if elves spy on him- he can’t see us, and we are small enough to not be noticed anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re suggesting that the Lost Clan does this,” Bartell scratches at his beard, face contemplative.</p><p> </p><p>“Please. If it’s not too much trouble.” Hilda leans down. “You are our best- and just about only- option right now.”</p><p> </p><p>The warrior elf takes a moment to think. Hilda and Alfur glance at each other worriedly. They <em>need</em> the Lost Clan. Invisible elves are really their only option at this point.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Bartell speaks. “Alright. I’ll have my best spies set out tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, thank you!” Alfur shakes Bartell’s hand enthusiastically. “That is wonderful news!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, thank you,” Hilda grins, received. This will make things a lot simpler. “we owe you guys one.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will hold you to that.” Bartell nods. “If we see anything, I’ll send a note with one of our pigeon riders.”</p><p> </p><p>“Perfect!” Alfur claps. “We’ll be waiting eagerly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Great.” Hilda sits up. “Now that that’s settled, I need to do one more thing.”</p><p> </p><p>Twig yaps and butts his head against her shoulder. Hilda gives him a scratch. “Someone knows what I’m talking about.” She laughs. The elves look confused, and Hilda grins.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to talk to the Trolls.”</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hilda: realizes she has a crush on Frida</p><p>Hilda: who the fuck authorized this?!</p><p>Anyway, next chapter: Trolls!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Family Visits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hilda goes to visit her Troll family, both to see them... and to warn them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another long one lmao. I don't know how this keeps happening. </p><p>I've got some character design I did for Baba, and I'll link them here from my Tumblr and Insta when I get a chance to post them there. It won't be immediately, because I've got stuff going on, but I'll get them up as soon as I can.</p><p>Edit: here they are! ( <a>Tumblr</a> )</p><p>( <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMnnLVepHkB/">Instagram</a> )</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After gaining the Lost Clan’s support, Hilda, Alfur, and Twig head back home for the rest of the day.</p><p> </p><p>In that time, Hilda finishes the homework she’d been assigned for the weekend, sends some calming thoughts Frida’s way when there’s a sudden burst of tension over her way (she gets the distinct feeling it has to do with Frida’s parents, and she also sends some discontented rumbles to display her unhappiness with that), and eats dinner with Mum, Tontu, and Alfur. She updates the two that hadn’t come to training on how well David did (terrible, really, but it was alright), and how the Lost Clan would help with the spy work. Mum seems relieved. She tells Hilda that she’s awfully glad Hilda herself won’t be going near the Patrol, and honestly? Hilda agrees. She’s glad she doesn’t have to go near the Patrol either. Bunch of stuck-up jerks, that lot. Except for Gerda.</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of,” Hilda mumbles through a mouthful of broccoli, “I should email or text her the news. I bet she’ll be glad we’ve got a way to get dirt on Ahlberg now.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a good idea,” Mum nods. “tell her to be careful, too. I know Gerda can take care of herself, but I worry, you know? She’s <em>right there</em> with Ahlberg, and who knows what could happen if he finds out she’s working against him?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda mumbles an agreement. From his little table, Alfur taps his fork against his plate thoughtfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, she shouldn’t have to get too involved in Ahlberg’s scheme, what with the Lost Clan spying on him. The less involved she is, the better, I say.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda points her fork at him and nods. “Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if she still tries to do some snooping. I’ve talked to Gerda enough times to know that she’ll want to try to figure out what he’s doing herself.” She takes a moment to finish her dinner.</p><p> </p><p>“She feels like it’s her fault, you know.” Hilda says eventually, and she can feel all eyes on her. She clarifies, “That Ahlberg comes up with these ridiculous plans, I mean.</p><p> </p><p>“We all know she’s the only person in the Safety Patrol with common sense, right? Gerda told me once that Ahlberg’s probably been trying crazier schemes because she keeps stopping whatever he comes up with.”</p><p> </p><p>“So he keeps coming up with crazier ones to try to stop her from stopping him.” Tontu finishes for her.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods. “Yeah. So the witch thing? She probably feels bad for that. I just feel kinda guilty, though.” Mum’s eyes are on her, and Hilda rubs the back of her neck. “Ahlberg probably blames her for stopping his ‘defense-‘“ Hilda mockingly makes air quotes- “against Trolls, but that wasn’t Gerda. It was us.”</p><p> </p><p>“And do you feel bad for that?” Alfur asks, even though his tone suggests he already knows the answer.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course not,” Hilda scoffs. “they went after Baba a couple years back, if you can believe it. We were with Amma out in the forest when she wandered off. I could feel that something was wrong, because of the being-each-other’s-Anchor thing, right? So we went looking for her. A dispatch had cornered her, so Amma and I just… started wrecking their trucks. And we kept doing that whenever they came back. We also got other Trolls to do that, too. Gerda told me that it got too expensive to go after Trolls, ‘cus we just kept wrecking their stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>“I remember that!” Mum exclaims. “You and Baba looked <em>so</em> satisfied with yourselves when I came to pick you up that morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grins in that Trollish manner of hers, teeth bared and eyes glowing a dull orange, as they are prone to do whenever Hilda taps into her wilder side.</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” she smirks. “they had to learn that you don’t mess around with Trolls.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>After dinner, Hilda shrugs on a sweater and gives Mum a kiss on the cheek as she heads out the door. “Bye, Mum. I’ll be back in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, dear. Say hello to Baba and your amma for me, alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing. Bye, Twig! Bye, Alfur! Bye, Tontu!”</p><p> </p><p>A chorus of “Goodbye!”s follow her out the door, as well as Mum’s “Be safe, okay?” Hilda gives a thumbs-up and shuts the door behind her. She practically jumps down the stairs, and sprints out the door of the lobby and down the street. It feels good to run, the evening air cool on her cheeks and in her hair as it whips behind her. Her boots beat a quick rhythm on the ground as she passes block after block on her way to the wall.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a Vittra hole on the west side of the city near the wall that Hilda uses to pass in and out of the city without being spotted. It’s near the Bellkeeper’s house, as well, and the man is kind enough to keep an eye on it for her so Patrol officers don’t find it and fill it in.</p><p> </p><p>(He doesn’t like the Patrol any more than Hilda does, thankfully. She doesn’t know him as well as she’d like to, but Hilda can tell that he’s still on the Patrol for the same reason Gerda is- he posses legal ability to mess up Safety Patrol plans without coming under scrutiny.</p><p> </p><p>He’s also nice to Trolls, which is certainly a plus. And he likes cucumber sandwiches.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda slows down as she reaches the city’s outer limits. There are less houses in this area, and trees grow tall and thick above her. She can see the warm glow of fires through the windows of the houses she does see, and smell the comforting scent of woodsmoke. It reminds her of her house in the Wilderness, the way the smoke mingles with the crisp autumn air, the way the sky stretches out above her. The sun sets the clouds aflame as it sinks below the ocean, and it washes her in red and orange and yellow and pink, and Hilda is at peace. Life in its wild state is still part of her very being, even though she lives in a place where concrete and steel and electricity are the norm. She is wild, and she would not have it any other way.</p><p> </p><p>The sun has just dipped below the mountains when Hilda arrives at the wall. The Vittra hole is behind a patch of trees, and is very well-concealed, but Hilda still gives the area a once-over, eyes sharp and ears alert. The only movement she can detect is the birds in the trees and animals in the underbrush. No humans.</p><p> </p><p>She steadies herself on the edge of the hole, and jumps. She plummets down, down, down, the light above fading as she drops. The tunnel eventually evens out, and she comes to a sliding stop. Hilda brushes herself off as she stands. The hole isn’t a huge one, but it’s deep enough that it gets all the way under the wall without fear of the stone above collapsing in on the tunnel system. There’s a faint light about a hundred feet in front of her, and Hilda makes her way over to the hole that emerges right outside the wall.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a concealed ladder in the hole. It’s a rope ladder, so it’s rolled up and concealed at the top of the hole. Hilda had put it there when she’d started coming out to the Mountain a couple nights a month. Sure, the structure of the hole itself was fine, but Hilda was not a Vittra, and thus, had some trouble climbing up a tunnel to the surface.</p><p> </p><p>Thus, the ladder was concealed so Patrol wouldn’t find it and think that Trolls were getting in using that.</p><p> </p><p>She tugs at a thin string, and, with a clatter, the ladder falls. Hilda clambers up quickly, stepping foot on the thick grass. She takes a deep breath. The air isn’t exactly different out here, per se, but there’s a sort of quality to it that makes it more breathable. It’s lighter, maybe. Not weighed down by the light and pollution of Trolberg.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a rustle of cloth behind her, and Hilda whirls around. There, sitting at the base of the wall, is a girl. Her hair is a dull green that bobs around her ears, and her dark eyes peer out at Hilda from behind fluffy bangs. She wears a blue winter coat and dark grey sweatpants. She crosses her arms.</p><p> </p><p>“You were almost late.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Almost.</em>” Hilda jabs her finger at the girl. “That’s the key word, here. I was <em>almost</em> late.”</p><p> </p><p>“The sun is about gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“So?”</p><p> </p><p>The girl raises an eyebrow at her. Hilda raises an eyebrow right back.</p><p> </p><p>A moment like this, then- they dissolve into laughter. Hilda offers her hand, and hauls Baba- her Changeling sister, currently in human form- up to her her feet. She stands about five inches taller than Hilda, and is a bit heavier-set, as well. A Trollish human, like Hilda is a humanoid Troll.</p><p> </p><p>Baba stretches as the two start their trek into the forest. She’ll do this when Hilda comes out for a night, Change into her human form to meet Hilda at the wall. Over the years, it’s been discovered that it’s a lot easier to hang out on the other side of the wall as a human than a Troll. Trolls are driven off. Humans are told to get back inside the wall and <em>not attacked</em>. Hilda kicks at a rock as the gloom of the forest envelops them.</p><p> </p><p>“Anything new with Two-Heads?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, thankfully. The last time he and the others attacked, you were with us.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, remembering. “And that was about a month ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“How’s Amma?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good. She went foraging the other day. Got a cartfull of vegetables.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, that’s good, but I thought I told her that humans really don’t like having their vegetables stolen.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba shrugs. “Well, humans shouldn’t leave vegetables out where anybody can grab them.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that’s literally where they grow!” Hilda squawks indignantly. She has no idea how many times she’s argued this with the Trolls of the Mountain. <em>Vegetables near human houses are not for the taking!</em> She’s told them many, many times. <em>Those are food that humans are growing for themselves! Grow your own vegetables!</em></p><p> </p><p>(It never sticks.)</p><p> </p><p>They squabble for a few minutes more, and when they’ve gone a while, Hilda takes a glance back. They’re finally out of sight of the wall, and there appears to be no humans, save themselves, in the area. She sighs.</p><p> </p><p>“I think we’re good.”</p><p> </p><p>In a flash of light and a crackle of magic, Hilda Changes. Her skin becomes stone, her bright blue hair dulling to a slate-blue. Her nose is now one of a Troll’s, and her limbs course with strength.</p><p> </p><p>She loves this feeling. Being human is still the best, but there’s a sort of feral joy in the wildness of being a Troll. She is stronger than any human, and she is brimming with wild magic. She is part of the very land itself.</p><p> </p><p>(She’d figured out a spell a while ago, as well, that ties her clothing to her human form. Clothes were just uncomfortable as a Troll, and transforming and taking them off took much more time than was convenient, so she’d come up with an enchantment that made her clothes vanish with her human skin. Much easier, now, to transform once and be done with it.</p><p> </p><p>She’d also given Baba a similar spell, one that functioned the same. The girl may prefer to be a Troll, but it made things a lot easier if the clothes were tied to a particular form.)</p><p> </p><p>There’s a similar crackle besides her, and Hilda looks over to see Baba in her Trollish form. She hasn’t changed much, from four years ago. Besides the fact that she’d started aging like a human, her form is much the same, though bigger. Same round head, same heavy limbs, same round nose, though much taller, now.</p><p> </p><p>They look at each other, grins slowly breaking across their faces. They do this every time.</p><p> </p><p>Without warning, Hilda and Baba break into a sprint. It’s a race to the Mountain, and the loser has to get the other their favorite food.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, the thinner and more maneuverable, can take the direct route, ducking under branches and vaulting over rocks. Thickets are easy to slip through, and creeks are simple to jump.</p><p> </p><p>Baba is heavier and less graceful. She can’t get through the woods as quietly as Hilda can, but what she lacks in flexibility, she makes up for in speed and pure strength. She may have to take the long way around, but she’s quick about it. Branches are nothing in the way of a teenaged Troll trying to beat her sister.</p><p> </p><p>They whoop in delight as they climb higher and higher, the treeline eventually receding enough that the whole of Trolberg is visible below. Hilda, well enough ahead to stop for a moment, perches atop a rock and looks out at her home. The sun is sinking below the harbor, and the light glitters off the water in sparkling patterns.</p><p> </p><p>It’s beautiful.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a different sort of beauty than the Wilderness, to be certain, but it’s still wonderful. It’s home.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a sudden rustle in the underbrush, and Baba bursts out. Hilda screeches, and the race is on again.</p><p> </p><p>They start to pass more and more Trolls on the way up. Hilda slips between and under as many as she can, while Baba just plows right on through them. More than a few yells follow after them.</p><p> </p><p>They round a corner, and- there! The entrance to the Stone Forest is wide open, and Trolls of all different shapes and sizes pass through.</p><p> </p><p>They stop, just for a moment, catching their breath. Hilda leans on a rock and exhales roughly.</p><p> </p><p>A pause, then-</p><p> </p><p>The two break into a flat-out sprint, the entrance growing closer and closer-</p><p> </p><p>Hilda throws herself forward, arms out-</p><p> </p><p>She’s almost there-</p><p> </p><p>She lands on the ground, hard, but her hand is just inside the entrance. She has but a moment to celebrate before Baba lands on her. Hard.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda wheezes, crushed under the weight of the other Changeling. She grunts.</p><p> </p><p>“…I won.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I did.”</p><p> </p><p>“You <em>jumped on me.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I touched the rock before you landed.”</p><p> </p><p>“My hand got inside first.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba flops down even more on her. Hilda, offended, wiggles angrily, trying to get out from under her. “Get off!”</p><p> </p><p>“Only if you admit I won.”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine-“</p><p> </p><p>“Tie! Let’s make it a tie!”</p><p> </p><p>“…Fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba rolls off her, and Hilda gasps. She shoots a glare at the other, who doesn’t look apologetic at all. Hilda kicks at her as she stands up.</p><p> </p><p>“Cheater.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba grins cheekily and shrugs. “So?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda flips her off as she heads into the depths of the Mountain, and laughter follows after her.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>She’s perched above the pool. From above, water cascades down in a free-flowing waterfall. Below, Trolls mingle and fight and bathe in the water. Hilda remembers her first time here. She, Mum, and Twig were looking for fresh water, and they’d found this place.</p><p> </p><p>(This is also where she’d met her Troll family the first time. They hadn’t been family at the time, but were soon after.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s sharp eyes scan the gathering below. She’s looking for one Troll in particular. She crouches on an outcropping about a hundred feet above the stone floor, partially hidden behind a stalagmite. She can’t risk being spotted.</p><p> </p><p>Baba’s down there, too, and Hilda eyes her carefully to make sure she isn’t with the one she’s looking for. Baba suddenly glances up and Hilda’s hiding place and locks eyes with her. Hilda makes a desperate shushing gesture, hoping to everything that she isn’t revealed. That just wouldn’t do.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks around again, and- <em>there!</em> A Troll- the one she’s been looking for- sits at the base of a rock not too far from Hilda’s perch. The Troll is sitting partially behind the rather big rock, so that’s probably why Hilda hadn’t noticed earlier.</p><p> </p><p>With a sly grin, she quietly shifts off the rock, and down the steep slope. She can feel Baba’s eyes on her all the while, but doesn’t pay her any mind. She can’t let anything distract her.</p><p> </p><p>She creeps closer and closer, doing her best to not dislodge any loose rocks. Almost… almost…</p><p> </p><p>It takes a minute more, but Hilda is now perched above the sitting Troll, about twenty feet up. <em>Finally.</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda takes a deep breath, preparing herself- and jumps. She plummets down, down, down, and lands on her stomach with an audible <em>thunk</em> on the top of the Troll’s head.</p><p> </p><p>“Surprise!”</p><p> </p><p>She giggles as a large hand gently picks her up by the leg and dangles her upside-down in front of the Troll. She waves.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Amma.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told her not to.” Baba has strolled up in the meantime. Hilda sticks out her tongue.</p><p> </p><p>“You did <em>not.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Girls,” Amma rumbles in warning as she sets Hilda down. Hilda pops back up immediately, leaning into her Troll-mother’s side for a hug. A stone arm gently wraps around her body, and Hilda grins.</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you.”</p><p> </p><p>Amma rumbles, and Hilda can feel the stone against her chest vibrate. It’s a comforting feeling, to be able to feel the warmth of her Troll-mother’s stone, to feel the vibrations in her soul.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda has come to learn that a Troll child knows their mother by the warmth that trickles into their being. Baba had told her that that was what it was like for her before, when she was formed of the Earth and found her way to Amma. Hilda has since looked back at the moment she discovered that she had been Changed, and remembered that, yes, there’d been some sort of feeling in the magic within her that had pulled her to the mother Troll. So perhaps, while she was not born a Troll, not born of stone and magic and Earth, Amma is still her mother. She’d been the one to Change her, after all.)</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you, too,” Amma says. Hilda disentangles herself, and the older Troll stands to her full height. She stands several feet over the two Changelings, and when she starts to walk off towards their cave, Hilda and Baba follow like two little ducklings after the mother duck.</p><p> </p><p>They pass many Trolls, some of which are familiar, most of which are not. There are many Trolls who call the Stone Forest their home, and they all live their own, separate lives.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda waves to a few she recognizes as she passes. There’s Camera, so named for the camera he wears around his wrist, and also Hairy, and Tall, and so on. Hilda’s made a couple friends in the time since she’d first come to the Stone Forest.</p><p> </p><p>They enter a tunnel in one of the side walls, and soon enough, the three emerge at a blank stone wall. Amma turns to them expectantly. This is something she’s having them practice: moving stone with one’s will.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda and Baba look at each other, and Baba steps forward. She places a hand on the wall and exhales.</p><p> </p><p>Troll magic is a sturdy thing. It’s solid and dense and doesn’t like to be told around. You have to have a stronger will than it, and you have to look at it dead on and say: I’m the one in control here, or otherwise, it won’t listen to you. Familiar magic is easier, in this regard. It’s something that has become a part of Hilda, really, so it’s simple enough to call magic to the surface from the depths of her soul and weave it into a spell, but Troll magic is something that must be learned. Yes, it’s a part of all Trolls, but not all Trolls have the ability to use it to their advantage.</p><p> </p><p>Amma is one Troll who can, and Hilda knows she expects her and Baba to be able to use Troll magic, as well, and so far, they’ve been able to. Hilda has become quite adept at creating illusions, if she says so herself. She likes to make little fiery Woffs the most, and set them spinning in the air. She’s been able to create the illusion of fire, as well. It doesn’t give off any heat, but it’s great for illuminating places that don’t have great light. Like when she’s adventuring down in the Trolberg sewers.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda watches as Baba frowns, brow ridges furrowed in concentration. Slowly, ever so slowly, the rock bends to her will. An opening starts to form in the cave wall, widening to the point where all three can get through. Baba opens her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I did it!”</p><p> </p><p>“Good job!” Hilda crows, slapping Baba’s shoulder. Amma pats her head.</p><p> </p><p>“Well done. You’re getting better at this.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba beams at the praise. So far, stone moving has been the hardest part of Troll magic to grasp for both of them. Hilda can’t do it at all, yet, so Baba being able to deserves many congratulations.</p><p> </p><p>(Amma is one of the best stone movers in the Mountain. While the entrances all have enchantments on them to keep humans and the sun out, the inner caves do not. Only a few number of Trolls know enough Troll magic to be able to move stone enough to create sealed-off caves that only they can access. Two-Heads- that bully- was apparently terrible at moving stone, so he had to block off his hoard-chamber with a wooden gate. Not that effective, really, in a cave system full of Trolls strong enough to uproot trees.)</p><p> </p><p>They move inside the little cave, and after a moment, the stone closes up again. It doesn’t like being moved from its stationary position, so it will close up soon after being moved. Hilda immediately moves to hoist herself into the little sleeping hollow carved out into the wall. It’s got a goodly amount of bedding in it, and is thus the comfiest area in their little cave-home. Baba plops down agains the wall, and Amma lights a false fire in the fire pit in the middle of the room. She sits down, as well.</p><p> </p><p>They dissolve into light conversation. Hilda talks about the happenings in Trolberg, what she’s been learning in class, the new Familiar magic she’s been learning. Amma recounts what all has been happening the Stone Forest since Hilda’s last visit. Two-Heads hasn’t caused any trouble since Hilda’s last visit, but his cronies have been roughing some Trolls up. They’re easily driven off, though, so they aren’t much of a concern. A tunnel on the east side of the Mountain had collapsed, and though there were injuries, there hadn’t been any deaths. A Troll had started a broken bell hoard, oddly enough.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda wrinkles her nose at that last one. What Troll in their right mind goes near a bell, much less starts a hoard of them? Even broken, they were terrible things. The vibrations went right through one’s stone and caused a horrible pain in the head. They were easier to tolerate when human, but they still caused her terrible headaches. She’d have nothing to do with them, herself, if she could.</p><p> </p><p>“What an odd thing to make a hoard out of,” Hilda comments. She’s laying on her back with her head hanging upside-down out of the little niche. “bones or vegetables are one thing, but <em>bells?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Broken ones,” Amma corrects, stirring the flames with a finger. “they don’t make any noise.”</p><p> </p><p>“That doesn’t really make it better,” Baba voices Hilda’s thoughts. “They’re still bells. I’d rather have a hoard of shiny rocks or something. Bells just aren’t respectable.”</p><p> </p><p>Trolls have a tendency to hoard. They’ll find one thing that particularly interests them, and then go out of their way to form a collection of that thing. There’s a Troll in the Forest who quite likes bedding and other soft things, and Hilda may or may not have stolen some items on a couple of occasions.</p><p> </p><p>(She’d found a plush Woff, once. Yes, she already had one, but this one had been white, and Hilda had thought it a good gift for Frida for her birthday. She had loved it, and thinking back to how happy she had been, the hug that she’d given her, makes Hilda’s stone face warm a bit.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks over to Amma’s hoard. It’s quite modest, really; a couple dozen teacups and their saucers sitting on a little shelf. It’s very nicely curated, though.</p><p> </p><p>She snaps back into focus when Baba throws a little rock at her. Hilda grumbles and flips over onto her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve started a hoard, right?” Baba asks her. “How’s that coming along?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blows a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Pretty good. I think I’m going to start collecting scarves and berets. I already have a couple of each that David crocheted for me, and Mum bought me a beret patterned with the ace flag colors in camo about a month ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“The flat really isn’t that big. Where are you keeping them? Under your bed?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snorts. “Please. Tontu would never let me hear the end of it if I just threw them under there.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, where <em>are</em> you keeping them?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda tugs at a lock of her hair. “Did I tell you about one of the magic things I figured out how to do recently?”</p><p> </p><p>“The most recent thing you told us about was the new bond you established with your witch,” Amma reminds her.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yeah. So remember when I told you about that Barghest that was running around Trolberg a couple years ago?” At the nods she receives, Hilda continues. “Well, he was using Nowhere Space to get around, and that’s why nobody could catch him. Now, everybody thinks only Nisses can get into Nowhere Space, right? Well, Jellybean- that Barghest- isn’t a Nisse. He <em>learned</em> how to do it from watching Nisses. So I thought, ‘well, maybe I can do that, too!’” Hilda pounds her fist into her open palm. “So I’ve been trying to learn how to get in and out of Nowhere Space. I don’t think Tontu’s too happy about that, but I’ve gotten in and out enough times on my own to be able to put my hoard down there. It saves space, and I think Mum’s happy about that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can normal humans do that?” Baba asks, and Hilda shrugs.</p><p> </p><p>“Probably not. I’m pretty sure the only way I’m able to do it is because I’m magic now.”</p><p> </p><p>“About magic,” Amma rumbles, “how is that witch of yours?”</p><p> </p><p>“Frida? She’s good,” Hilda says, and does her level best to keep the majority of emotions she feels at the mention of her cru- best friend from leaking out into her voice. “Tildy- her teacher- says she’s one of the best students she’s ever had.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what of you?” Amma is looking at her now, and Hilda blanches a little bit. She knows Amma loves her, really, but she also knows Amma wants her to be proficient in all the magic that is available to her.</p><p> </p><p>(When Hilda had first started learning Troll magic, she was still young; her thirteenth birthday had only been a couple weeks prior. She had gotten very, very frustrated when she couldn’t get the magic to work for her. She’d already begun her Familiar training, and using that magic was as easy as breathing, practically. She was so <em>used</em> to being able to weave spells like it was nothing.</p><p> </p><p>But… no matter what she did, Troll magic wouldn’t budge for her. Hilda had practically thrown a fit when Amma kept her at it. She’d harshly accused the older Troll of pushing her too hard. She couldn’t do it; it wouldn’t work for her, so why keep trying? It was cruel, to push her like this.</p><p> </p><p>Amma had gotten a somber, melancholy expression, then. She’d knelt down to Hilda’s height and told her gently that she was doing this because she loved her, and she wanted Hilda to be able to keep herself safe. There were dangerous things in this world, and Trolls must know how to defend themselves, both from each other and from humans. Hilda was quite new to being a Troll, and she couldn’t defend herself all that well, yet. She was also young. That’s why she pushed her: to make sure Hilda could protect herself.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda had been too stubborn to admit it, at the time, but… that made sense. She’d gone back to practicing Troll magic with new resolve, and, while it took a bit, she eventually started to get the hang of it.</p><p> </p><p>That didn’t mean that Amma still didn’t make sure she was strong with magic, though. Familiar magic was a different type of magic, but it was still something she encouraged Hilda to stay on top of and learn all that she could about it.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda concentrates, and forms a small flame in her palm. She grins. “I’m doing pretty well.”</p><p> </p><p>Amma nods, and Hilda extinguishes the fire. She thinks of protection magic, and she thinks of the Safety Patrol. She sits up.</p><p> </p><p>“Magic aside, I need to warn you about the Patrol.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba groans and flops onto the ground. “What now? I thought they were leaving us alone?”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought so, too, but they’ve been active again, recently. Deputy Gerda- the good officer; you know her- told me that Ahlberg’s up to something, and we figured out that he’s trying to go after the witches of Trolberg.”</p><p> </p><p>Her sister frowns. “Frida’s a witch. And that book friend of yours.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kaisa,” Hilda supplies.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, her. What are you gonna do about that?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda sighs, and worry stirs in her heart. “We don’t quite know just yet. We know that the Patrol got their hands on some books that could help them identify witches, so that’s not good, but we don’t know if they can even cast the spells in those books.”</p><p> </p><p>Amma taps her fingers on her knee. She looks worried. “Do they know how to identify Familiars?”</p><p> </p><p>And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Hilda’s been most worried about Frida, but she’s at risk, too. She’s magic herself, and can use witch magic to boot. She’s not safe, either.</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>She’s frustrated that she doesn’t.</p><p> </p><p>(Quietly, gently, a curious sensation brushes over her mind. Hilda pushes a feeling of <em>don’t worry about it</em> back.</p><p> </p><p>And also <em>go to bed</em> because it’s late.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda picks at a scar on her arm, the stone there a bit faded. It’s something she got while she was training with her sword, once. She sighs. “I’m not worried as much about myself, though. I’m mostly worried about Frida. Who knows what could happen if Ahlberg catches her? I just-“ her breath hitches. She’s overwhelmed with a fierce protectiveness, and she can feel her eyes burn a bit brighter. “I just want to keep her safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks up, and Amma is just… looking at her. Hilda blinks, suddenly feeling self-conscious.</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>Amma sighs, and pats the ground next to her. “Hilda, come sit with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Confused, Hilda complies, slipping off her ledge and nuzzling into her Troll-mother’s side. Baba, who probably doesn’t want to feel left out, tucks herself under Amma’s arm on the other side. The mother Troll wraps her arms around her daughters.</p><p> </p><p>“You two are the first Changelings we Trolls have seen in a while,” Amma starts. “you have a special sort of magic. You learn and grow much quicker than those who are not Changelings.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods. She knows this. She’d gone to Kaisa soon after she was returned to human that first time, and found a book on Troll Changelings. Since she was human, and Baba partially, they’d mature much faster than the average Troll. Baba herself had started growing quicker after that first Change. She and Hilda aged much the same, these days, and the book Hilda had found suggested that, while Hilda would age like a normal human, Baba would hit maturity, then age like any other Troll.</p><p> </p><p>What was most important, though, was that Changeling magic was complex and, at times, unpredictable. It was an ancient form of Troll magic, and was not to be taken lightly. Amma continues.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, you in particular must be mindful of this. You have many different types of magic within you. You were a Familiar first, so that is the strongest type of magic you possess. It guides your actions. However,” and here she pauses, and her arm tightens around Hilda, “you must be careful. Your Familiar magic may be strengthened by our magic. You have an instinct to protect your witch, correct?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods. She’d do practically anything to keep Frida safe. It’s her duty as her Familiar.</p><p> </p><p>“Be wary of this, especially if the humans seek to find or harm her. Your magic is unpredictable as it is, and it might create chaos in you if you feel your witch is threatened. I do not know what would happen if your magic combines, but it could produce heightened feelings of protectiveness. This could pose a danger to those around you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda listens, rapt. It should be frightening, she thinks. She is a well of uncertainties and could become dangerous if given a reason to be. But… she isn’t frightened. She already knows that she would do whatever she could to protect her witch, and there’s a sense of acceptance with that thought. It doesn’t scare her.</p><p> </p><p>Baba’s voice suddenly breaks her train of thought. “Hilda’s not that scary, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wha- hey, I totally am!”</p><p> </p><p>“Last time I was in Trolberg, Frida smiled at you and you walked into a lamppost.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glowers. “No, I didn’t. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, because you were looking at Frida.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, do you fancy that Frida girl?” Amma asks, and Hilda screeches.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Amma, not you too!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>The night dissolves into Hilda’s embarrassed denials and Baba’s teasing, and, at least for a while, the world is at peace.</p><p> </p><p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Little Talks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Head full of thoughts, Hilda heads back to Trolberg, but encounters a friend or two on the way there.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>uGh I had trouble with this one. No matter what I tried, dumb thing did not want do go past 2.5k words :/ ’S all right, though. This is really a transition chapter between my setup and the stuff that goes down :) But, other than that, *Gunnerkrigg Court voice* it’s that guy! </p><p>(Yes the chapter title is the title of an Of Monsters and Men song. What about it.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the morning, Hilda exits the Stone Forest and breathes in the dewy air. The grass is chilly beneath her bare stone feet. It’s early, very early, and the midnight blue horizon behind her is tinted only the barest hint of pink. She’s still got two hours before the sun is up proper, she thinks.</p><p> </p><p>They had stayed up late talking, the three of them. Everything was spoken of, but also, nothing at all of consequence was aired. Yes, the Safety Patrol was a threat; they always were, but now, more than ever, but it was nice to forget about that for a while.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, she and Baba had drifted off, and Hilda has a faint memory of large, warm hands lifting her into the little sleeping niche and tucking blankets around her. She remembers another warm stone body being placed next to hers, and the gentle sounds of her sister’s snoring as the two Changelings drifted off into sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda had risen early, as she is prone to do in this form, and had said goodbye to Amma (fully awake) and Baba (half-awake; Hilda was pretty sure she’d fallen right back asleep after slurring a farewell) before heading out.</p><p> </p><p>Navigating the tunnels back out was easy. Before, when she was fully human, the Stone Forest was a maze. She, Mum, and Twig couldn’t find their way out, no matter how hard they tried. They’d had to be saved by their friends outside, in the end.</p><p> </p><p>Now, however?</p><p> </p><p>Now, as a Troll, Hilda has a natural instinct for things like this. She’s naturally drawn underground as a Troll, so, to get out and back to the surface, she just has to follow the route that gives her the worst vibes. Simple, really.</p><p> </p><p>Now, as Hilda steps away from the entrance, the early air of dawn envelops her, and she feels alive. The air is sharp and heavy with the last dregs of night and it fills her lungs with a sort of solid air that doesn’t occur down in Trolberg. The entrance closes behind her, and she starts her trek down the slope. Animals scamper about in the underbrush, and Woffs call above her as they start their morning hunt. She passes a few Trolls making their way back underground for the day and gives a quiet wave.</p><p> </p><p>This time, as she descends, Hilda does not race. She takes her environment in with appreciation instead of a desire to get through it as quickly as possible. In the morning, everything is new again. It’s a quiet, peaceful time, and Hilda hates to disturb it.</p><p> </p><p>She used to do something like this, back when she lived out in the Wilderness. She would wake up before Mum and Twig, and slip out of the house in her pajamas to just… take it all in.</p><p> </p><p>She’d climb a ways up the mountain-that-was-really-a-giant and find a rock to sit on. She’d watch the sunrise from there, and revel in the stillness of it all.</p><p> </p><p>Dawn was a magical time, then, and it still is now.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda walks for a half hour in silence, taking in the sounds of the the world waking up. The forest becomes thicker as she descends, and the wall soon comes into view. She doesn’t Change back, just yet. She’s not as worried about being seen at this hour. Yes, there’s a couple of houses here and there outside the wall, but they all stick close to the city, and their windows are all dark. No human life stirs in the stillness of the time before dawn. Even if someone <em>was</em> up, all they’d see is a slender, long-legged Troll wandering about. She’s not bothering anyone, and in all the years that she’d been doing this, Hilda hasn’t been attacked or driven off by humans once. Yes, there have been a couple times that a breeze has set a bell off and Hilda has had to retreat into the forest to get away from it and Change so it doesn’t hurt as much, but that’s only when the wind is strong. Right now, the air is still. The branches of the trees wave slightly when an errant breeze brushes through, but nothing strong enough to really do anything.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda pauses at her Vittra hole. While she could take her usual route home, she doesn’t really feel like heading back into the city so early. This is the quietest she’s been in a while, and the most alone, and thoughts are crowding in. She’s not actively repressing them, now that Frida’s asleep and can’t feel how her thoughts are swirling ‘round her skull like angry weather spirits. They chatter like weather spirits, too. They won’t shut up now that Hilda has no real reason to stamp them down.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scrubs at her face and sighs. It really would be best if she took a moment to get her head sorted out.</p><p> </p><p>Carefully, she rolls up her ladder and conceals it again with a bit of illusion magic. Hilda stands up and tilts her head skyward. The stars, while still bright, are fading into the blue of the sky as the sun creeps up from behind the mountains behind her. From the corner of her eye, she spots a tree with low branches growing close to the wall. <em>That’ll do.</em></p><p> </p><p>With a few quick strides and some jumping, Hilda scales the tree and uses a spell to jump up the rest of the wall to the top. She kneels atop the stone and drinks in the sight of Trolberg. The city is mostly dark, but there are still lights in many buildings. A city never sleeps, Hilda had realized when she first moved. It was startling. Back out in the Wilderness, she and Mum and been the only humans for miles and miles. When they shut off the lights in their little cabin, the world seemed to sleep with them. Here, though? That’s not the reality.</p><p> </p><p>Trolberg is a city of humans, all with their own lives and routines and business. Many humans are what Hilda has heard described as “night owls,” and stay up until all hours of the night. Other people do their business in the night, as it works best for them. Still others just like to keep their lights on.</p><p> </p><p>Trolberg is never truly dark. It may rest, on occasion, but it never sleeps.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda takes this all in, the loudness of her mind slightly abating as she takes in the warm glow of her home. The sunlight touches the houses on the outskirts of the city near the coastline, the ones not in the shadow of the mountains, and Hilda knows she will have to Change soon. But not yet.</p><p> </p><p>Now, she takes a deep breath and shifts so she’s sitting facing out towards the forest. She lets one leg dangle over the wall and props her arms up on the other one. She nestles her chin on her arms.</p><p> </p><p>Everything has seemed so hectic recently. Between trying to find out Ahlberg’s newest scheme, the newness of her Familiar bond, testing David’s magical potential, and realizing she has a crush on Frida, Hilda hasn’t really had a moment to breathe. A moment to take it all in and process it.</p><p> </p><p>Closing her eyes, Hilda tries to take deep breaths in an exercise Kaisa had taught her to try to center herself when she needed to think and her mind was too loud to do so.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Breathe in, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Breathe out, two, three, four, five, six.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hilda repeats the exercise a couple times, and tries to lay out everything in her head in something resembling a logical order.</p><p> </p><p>…It’s not working.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs, irritated, and picks at the stone under her. She dislodges a small pebble with enough worrying and chucks it into the forest in a burst of frustration. With her Troll strength, the rock sails over a couple hundred feet before disappearing into the leafy canopy. A few birds take off in a panic.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m used to Trolls trying to punch their way through the wall, but takin’ them apart stone by stone? That’s a new one.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks up, but it’s not with alarm. The Bellkeeper knows that she’s a Changeling, after all, and Hilda trusts him.</p><p> </p><p>Even still, she Changes back, rough grey stone melting into skin tanned from years of adventuring outside. She readjusts her beret and looks back out at the forest with a huff. The man sits down next to her, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. He glances out at the landscape surrounding the city.</p><p> </p><p>“You go visit the Trolls last night?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hums noncommittally.</p><p> </p><p>“Saw your sister the other day. She was takin’ carrots from a couple of houses this side of the wall. Tried to tell her to knock it off, but she just grinned at me. You know anything about that?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shrugs, but still doesn’t say anything. She’s too annoyed with herself to really participate in conversation right now. The Bellkeeper seems to pick up on this, because he takes a long look at her, eyebrow raised.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re usually more chattier than this, kid. You got somethin’ on your mind?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs out an annoyed breath. “Yeah, kinda.”</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper hums. “I’m not great with…” he waves his hand in the air lazily. “eh, this sorta stuff, but maybe talkin’ about whatever’s goin’ on might help. I’ve found it’s better to get this stuff out than keep it all in.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda picks at a hole in her jeans and sighs. Really, out of anyone she could’ve talked to about… all this <em>stuff</em> going on, the Bellkeeper kind of is the best choice. He’s more removed from the immediate situation than a lot of people she knows (and trusts), so he’s good to go to for a more outside perspective. He can give a more objective viewpoint on a situation, and for that, Hilda really appreciates him. Talking to him is also a good distraction to get her out of her head. She crosses her legs under her.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you noticed that the Patrol’s up to something recently?”</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper sighs and thumbs the rim of his mug. “Yeah, actually.” he muses. “Saw Gerda the other day and asked her about it. You two are friendly, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Hilda confirms, then adds, “I’m actually who she goes to when she needs to stop one of Ahlberg’s schemes quicker than she can legally.” she grins. “It’s amazing what a little vandalism can accomplish.”</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper barks out a laugh. “That sounds like something she’d do. Actually, maybe I’ll give you a call the next time the officers are givin’ me a hard time about the Trolls. Maybe you can get them off my back!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda giggles and leans back on her hands. “I <em>have</em> been told I can be very annoying when I want to be.”</p><p> </p><p>They laugh for a bit more, then lapse into a minute of companionable silence. The older man drinks his coffee, and Hilda picks out constellations in the sky as they dim faster and faster with the rising of the sun. This is nice, really. She feels more removed from her immediate situation, and a good laugh always helps her mood.</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper sets his mug down after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyway, Gerda told me Ahlberg’s goin’ after witches now, that fool. Y’know, I told him once, ‘don’t go after things that have the power to really getchya back. You’re going to regret it.’ And y’know what he did after that?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Hilda asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Start goin’ after Trolls when they’re outside of Trolberg! Not even <em>close</em> to the wall! Goin’ up with a couple of trucks and bellin’ the poor things miles away out in their own territory! It was only recently that they stopped doin’ that, thank god. Pretty sure we would’ve been stormed at some point if they hadn’t stopped, just to get the Patrol to leave them alone.” the man gesticulates angrily, a disbelieving expression on his face.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda raises her hand, knowing grin on her face. “Pretty sure they stopped because of me.”</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper pauses- and levels an unimpressed look out at the forest with a sigh. Hilda giggles. “I should have known.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Hilda laughs, “they went after my family. I kind of <em>had</em> to stop them.”</p><p> </p><p>“By wrecking all the trucks?”</p><p> </p><p>“It was the best option at the time.”</p><p> </p><p>The Bellkeeper mutters something about “reckless youth” and their “crazy schemes against authority” and Hilda snorts.</p><p> </p><p>“Making them stop going after Trolls was easy, though, compared to this. I know some witches and I <em>really</em> don’t want the Patrol to find them.”</p><p> </p><p>The man hums. “I’m not privy to the more secure communications that get passed around, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I hear anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>(Under his words, though, Hilda thinks she hears the flap of a large bird’s wings. She cocks her head to the side, but hears nothing else.)</p><p> </p><p>The man scratches at his cheek. “I’ll keep an eye out on the routes out of the city on this side, too. Isn’t the witches’ tower out in the Huldrewood?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, actually. It’s what they’d like people to think,” Hilda corrects, and while she really shouldn’t go around revealing the true location of the Witch’s Tower, she knows the Bellkeeper won’t tell. He’s got a vested interest in scamming the Patrol out of factual information. He does it for fun, he’d said once to her with a chuckle. It was fun to watch the officers run around looking for things that didn’t exist or weren’t where they were convinced they were. “it’s actually under the library. Witches <em>really</em> like books.”</p><p> </p><p>“I always thought that librarian lady looked a bit witchy,” the Bellkeeper wiggles his fingers in a way that Hilda thinks is supposed to represent magic. “it’s that cape she always wears. Your girlfriend is one too, isn’t she?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda chokes.</p><p> </p><p>“What- no- I mean, yes, Frida’s a witch, but <em>no,</em> she’s not my girlfriend- I mean, she’s my best friend and I’m her Familiar, but- <em>no!</em>” she stutters out in a panic, hoping to whatever’s out there that the Bellkeeper will leave it alone. But, like everyone else, he lets her down.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, to Hilda’s utter horror and embarrassment, the Bellkeeper <em>guffaws</em>. “Oh, really now? You could’ve fooled me! You look at that girl like she hung the moon!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, face beet-red, drops her head into her hands and screams. “Is it really that obvious?!”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve been giving her starry-eyed looks for a little less longer than I’ve known you, girl. <em>Yes, </em>it’s obvious.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dammit.” Hilda mutters. She’s only known about her crush for less than a day, but apparently she’s had it for a lot longer?! And people can tell?! She pushes the heels of her palms against her eyes and throws her head back. “Agh, if I’m so obvious about it, what if she <em>knows?!</em> Frida doesn’t miss a lot, let me tell you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, if you asked me, the obvious thing would be to tell her.” the Bellkeeper nods sagely. “She looks at you the same, I think.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wha-“ Hilda starts, then shuts her mouth with an audible <em>click.</em> She’s talking to the Bellkeeper because he’s good at giving objective views, right? So there’s… really no denying that, if he’s not teasing her. (And why would he? He’s always been honest about things with her, so why would he start being untruthfully mean now?) He says Frida looks like she feels the same, but Hilda’s insecurity, in the end, always wins, when it comes to situations like this, and she shuts those thoughts right down.</p><p> </p><p>The bottom line is that Frida can’t <em>possibly</em> feel the same way. Hilda is just her Familiar. Frida can’t have a crush on her.</p><p> </p><p>Out loud, she sighs. “That would be nice, but I don’t think-“</p><p> </p><p>“YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON FRIDA?!”</p><p> </p><p>In her surprise, Hilda shrieks loudly and fires a jet of flame in the direction of the exclamation. A pair of dark eyes blink up at her from where their owner has hit the deck.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi. Sorry. Please don’t roast me.” Raven waves at her.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda lets out a suffering groan. Great. Now another person knows.</p><p> </p><p>“But I agree with this guy, here. You should totally tell her.”</p><p> </p><p>God<em>dammit.</em></p><p> </p><p>
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          <p>I feel like Woffs eat birds or something. They look like wolves, right? So they’re probably not herbivores. Probably omnivores or something. Birds seem like the most likely prey.</p><p>Also, like, I’m basically convinced the Bellkeeper is related to Hilda in some way. He’s literally the only other character that has naturally blue hair (the teal near his temples), and witches don’t count because they probably dye their hair or something. Now, I dunno if he’s her father or her uncle or what, but I really hope we at least get a canon name for him at some point.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Avoidance Tactics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hilda wrestles with all these feelings she's been having, and, with a little urging, reaches a decision.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another long one! wooo</p><p>And now begins Act Two :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Unlocking the door quietly, Hilda steps into the flat with Raven in tow, sitting on her shoulder. She’s careful to shut the door softly behind her because it’s six in the morning and not a lot of people are awake. (Hopefully, that includes Mum. She’s been known to stay up until the early hours of morning working on commissions.)</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Hilda finds Mum sleeping. She’s at her drawing board, asleep, back rising and falling with her gentle breaths. It’d be a little extreme, even for Mum, to still be up at six in the morning, having worked through the night. It’d still be extreme if she had woken up to do a commission <em>before</em> six. Mum loves her work, but staying up all night is where Hilda, as a responsible daughter, draws the line.</p><p> </p><p>(She’s maybe had to drag Mum from her work a couple times. She’s gotten up for a glass of water at, like, two AM a few times and found Mum still going strong at her drawing board. Times like those require enlisting the other occupants of the flat to get Mum to bed, regardless of whether or not Hilda has to wake them up to do so, and regardless of how they feel.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shucks off her boots in the entryway and grabs a granola bar out of the snack cabinet in the kitchen. She doesn’t really feel like having a proper breakfast right now, anyway. She unwraps it as quietly as she can, as to not wake Mum up, before sticking the bar in her mouth and snagging a blanket off the back of the couch. Raven jumps off her shoulder and onto the cushions as she drapes the blanket over Mum’s shoulders. No sense in getting sick via cold air while working, after all. Hilda has learned that lesson a couple times.</p><p> </p><p>(Even since the Week-Long Cold Incident, Mum has implemented the rule that Hilda must carry a jacket on her at all times when off on an adventure proper. The Incident had sucked so much that Hilda has taken heed to this rule more than she has others. Don’t blame her, okay? It’s a fate she wouldn’t wish on anyone. Well, except maybe Ahlberg. Yeah, definitely him.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda munches on the granola bar as she peeks over Mum’s shoulder. Looks like the commission is the thing for Hilda’s high school that she’d been working on earlier. Something for the senior prom, apparently. A flyer design.</p><p> </p><p>She hasn’t attended any school dances yet, really. They just don’t seem very fun. Standing around and making stupid small talk with shallow kids who don’t really care? Sounds terrible. But, despite that, she’ll probably go to senior prom. From what she’s heard, it’s tradition to go, even if you don’t like dances.</p><p> </p><p>She’ll certainly go if she’s invited, because turning someone down would be downright rude, yeah?</p><p> </p><p>Hilda mindlessly brushes some crumbs off her chin as her mind wanders. Maybe she’d even <em>enjoy</em> herself if she got invited by the right person. She wouldn’t wear a dress, no; Hilda really isn’t a dressy sort of person. Sure, she’ll wear a skirt on occasion, but that’s not too often, anymore. Instead, she’d probably wear a suit, and maybe her partner would wear a dress, and maybe it would be a blue that matches the dye in her hair, and maybe with orange accents that bring out her wonderful dark eyes and dazzling smile, and maybe they’d dance together, and maybe- <em>maybe-</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks, and <em>oh, no,</em> she’s doing it again. She exhales a sharp breath out of her nose, angry with herself. She can’t be feeling like this. God, if Frida <em>ever</em> finds out that Hilda is having these thoughts, that would be <em>it.</em> They wouldn’t be friends anymore, and who knows what would happen to their witch-and-Familiar bond?</p><p> </p><p>Hilda knows she’s going to end up with a broken heart if she keeps going on like this. These thoughts need to <em>stop,</em> period.</p><p> </p><p>So right there, standing in her living room, with her Thunderbird friend and sleeping mother as witness, Hilda makes a silent promise. These feelings <em>will</em> go away. It doesn’t matter what it takes, or what cost is assumed, but Hilda needs to <em>not</em> have a crush on her witch.</p><p> </p><p>(She dares not seal it with magic, though. She knows better than to make a pact she can’t keep. She is only human, after all, though she does have magic. She was born human, and humans have flaws. So she makes a promise, not a pact, and seals it with a resolution instead of a spell.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda crams the rest of her granola bar into her mouth with more force than is probably necessary, and goes to grab a change of clothes from her room.</p><p> </p><p>From her bureau, she grabs a shirt and pants, and laughs quietly at a sleeping Twig as he kicks his legs in a silly attempt at running in whatever dream he’s having. He’s making some very silly sounds, too, which can best be described as “wubbling.” It’s cute, and Hilda grabs her phone from her desk to snap a picture.</p><p> </p><p>After a quick change, she returns to the main area of the flat to put a kettle of water on for coffee for her and Mum.</p><p> </p><p>(Mum had told her once that she really shouldn’t drink coffee so young- it could stunt her growth. Hilda had just scoffed, because she had already reached her full height a while ago and it didn’t look like she was going to grow any more anytime soon.</p><p> </p><p>Suffice to say, Hilda is now allowed to drink coffee, though she does take it very sweet.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hums as she sets out two mugs and grabs the percolators and filters. Into these, she scoops ground coffee from the jars they keep on the counter. There are several of these large jars. One contains regular coffee, another decaf, and there is a jar that is specifically for tea bags. They mostly have peppermint, because that’s Hilda’s favorite tea, but there are also some different kinds of black tea, which Mum likes. Yet another jar contains flour, and next to that, a jar containing sugar. It’s very orderly. Everything in its own specific container, not all jumbled together, sitting nice and pretty and organized. Unlike Hilda’s thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>The kettle starts to whistle, and Hilda takes it off the heat before it can get too loud. The scent of coffee fills the flat as Hilda pours water over the ground coffee, careful not to spill the boiling water or completely drown the coffee filter. Raven hops up onto the counter.</p><p> </p><p>“Ooh, coffee. Can I have some?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snorts. “Absolutely not. I remember the <em>last</em> time you had coffee. You were shooting lightening uncontrollably for an <em>hour</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“In my defense, I’m very small and the caffeine had nowhere else to go.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can turn into a <em>very large bird</em> and you’re saying you’re <em>too small?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“…Touché. Can I have hot chocolate instead?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grabs another mug and retrieves a hot chocolate packet from the tea jar. That, and some water from the kettle, goes into that mug.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you guys have marshmallows?”</p><p> </p><p>“Cabinet to the left of the sink on the bottom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>The opening and shutting of the cabinet is suddenly accompanied by the sound of hooves on tile. Hilda grins as a head butts against her thigh.</p><p> </p><p>“‘Morning, boy. Did you sleep well?” she scratches the white-furred head, and Twig licks her hand in reply.</p><p> </p><p>“I think that means yes. Do you want breakfast, too?”</p><p> </p><p>Twig sneezes, as if to say <em>Yes, of course! Why wouldn’t I?</em> and, you know what? That’s fair.</p><p> </p><p>So, as the coffee steeps, she also takes out Twig’s food bowl and retrieves the container of food from under the sink. One scoop of kibble goes in, as well as a scoop of the wet food she grabs from the fridge. She sets it down, and Twig digs in with gusto. Hilda laughs as she puts the dog food back under the sink and checks on the coffee. Both have nearly drained, so Hilda puts the percolators in the sink and sets about putting milk and sugar in. Mums likes her a lot more bitter than Hilda likes hers, so Hilda makes sure not to put too much sugar in, as horrible as that sounds. Who willingly drinks a cup of straight bitter?! She tried it once- <em>once</em>- and it was gross. Adults are weird.</p><p> </p><p>But, even still, she loves Mum, so she makes her her cup of bitter, no matter how gross it is. Hilda takes a sip of her own coffee, makes a face because it’s <em>too</em> bitter, and dumps another teaspoon of sugar in. <em>Much better.</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods at the table as she picks the two mugs of coffee up. “You can take a seat,” she directs at Raven. “I’m gonna go wake Mum up and I don’t want you spilling coffee all over the floor.”</p><p> </p><p>“If anyone is going to spill anything, it’s this guy right here,” the Thunderbird mumbles, glancing at Twig, who has, in his enthusiasm, gotten kibble all over the floor. The deerfox shoots him an offended glare.</p><p> </p><p>“Be nice,” Hilda chastises as she sets her mug down at her place.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not wrong, though.” a fuzzy head suddenly appears on the other side of the table. “There’s dog food in Nowhere Space.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Be nice.</em>” Hilda admonishes again, except now it’s directed at Tontu.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning to you too,” he replies pleasantly, if a little sassily.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t steal my coffee.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t dream of it.”</p><p> </p><p>(He’s totally smirking under all that hair, Hilda just <em>knows</em> it. He’s stolen her coffee before, and she wouldn’t put it past him to do it again.)</p><p> </p><p>She sighs noisily and turns her back on the lot of them. It’s nearly 6:45, now, and around the time Mum normally gets up. Hilda sets Mum’s coffee down on the flat part of the drawing table and gently shakes her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Mum,” she says softly, “it’s morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum groans and shifts. Honestly, sleeping on a drawing board <em>cannot</em> be comfortable. Mum’s neck probably hurts a bit. Speaking of, Mum lifts her head, eyes blinking open and mouth twisted in a mild grimace.</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh. What…?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs a breathy laugh. “You fell asleep at your board again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah.” Mum yawns. “That would explain why my neck hurts, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Probably.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum sits up, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her bleary eyes. “What time is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Almost seven. I made you coffee!”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, sweetheart.” Mum smiles. “When did you get back?”</p><p> </p><p>“About six. I found someone on the way home, too.” Hilda jerks her head back towards the table. Mum peeks around her, a questioning look on her face. Said friend waves a wing in greeting from his seat at the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Hilda’s mom!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Raven. It’s good to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>(Any other person might mistake Mum’s tone for indifference, but Hilda knows her better than anyone else, and thus knows that that is Mum’s I-haven’t-had-my-coffee-yet tone of voice. Apparently, it’s a <em>thing</em> that adults do.)</p><p> </p><p>“Likewise!”</p><p> </p><p>“The Bird Parade is coming up pretty soon, right?” Hilda asks, jogging back over to the table and grabbing her coffee.</p><p> </p><p>“Yup! That’s why I’m in town. Don’t want to miss it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Standing up a whole parade that’s in your honor would be pretty rude,” Tontu comments. He’s gotten his own mug of coffee and is stirring in sugar. He likes it even sweeter than Hilda, if that’s even possible.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a hum of agreement from around the table.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda gulps down the rest of her coffee and sets the mug in the sink. “Anyway, I’m going to meet up with David in a bit. Since school’s out for the week because of the parade festivities, we were going to go around and see what the shops are selling. Last year, there was a booth that got set up that had <em>huge</em> bird kites. I kind of wanted to see if they’re back this year.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oooh.” Raven’s eyes light up. “I wonder if there are any of me.”</p><p> </p><p>“The parade is literally <em>for you. Of course they have raven kites.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Mum, who has moved from her drawing board to the table, laughs. “Sounds exciting. I was going to go grocery shopping today, so I can drive you, if you want.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hugs her. “That’d be great, Mum. Thank you!”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>After breakfast has been cleaned up, all the occupants of the house woken properly, and everyone gets themselves ready for the day, Hilda, Twig, Raven, and Mum pile into Mum’s car, and they start off.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s meeting David at Odin’s Square, which is near the marketplace. It’s also near where the parade starts, so there will be a lot of shops open for locals and tourists in town for the parade to browse. Hilda’s favorite shops, by far, are the ones that sell costumes. There are always <em>so</em> many creative outfits that look like they’d be a ton of fun to wear. Two years ago, in fact, there had been a homemade mask stall that she, David, and Frida had purchased matching masks from.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda’s still hangs in her room. It’s a wonderfully made thing, all feathers and glitter and ribbons. Durable, too. She had worn it that year for the parade, and the year after, as well, and it showed no sign of falling apart yet.)</p><p> </p><p>As they drive through the rows of houses on their way downtown, Hilda rests her head against the window. The trees are starting to turn colors, now. The maples lining the sidewalks are brilliant shades of red and orange, and the oaks in the parks are slowly turning a rusty brown. Leaves litter the roads, kicked up into small tornadoes with each passing car. The window is cool against her cheek with the chilly air that accompanies autumn. It feels good.</p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, Mum pulls into a parking space near Odin’s Square to let them out. Hilda gives her a kiss on the cheek, and steps out onto the cobblestone sidewalk, waving as the car pulls away after all passengers have disembarked. Twig wanders off through the entrance to the square, and Hilda, Raven on her shoulder, follows.</p><p> </p><p>The statue the square is named for stands strong and proud in the morning sun. It’s been cleaned recently, as well, in preparation for the parade, and wreathes of feathers adorn the base. Sitting on the steps of the base is a lanky figure, eyes closed as their head bobs to music only they can hear (they’re wearing headphones). Hilda holds a finger to her lips as she grins at her companions. It’s mean to scare people, she knows, but also, it’s kind of fun, especially when it’s the right person.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a look around the square to see if anyone is looking, Hilda quickly scales the statue of Odin, and perches above the person on the steps. A moment to steady herself, then-</p><p> </p><p>“HI DAVID!” Hilda yells as she drops down directly in front of her friend. David shrieks and throws his phone at her. Hilda catches the phone because she’s not mean and doesn’t want to see her friend damage her phone, but also, she’s laughing because David just looks ridiculous when he’s glaring like that with his headphones all askew.</p><p> </p><p>“…I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” he grumbles, picking himself up off the ground and brushing off his pants. Hilda just grins and holds his phone out for him.</p><p> </p><p>“At least your phone’s not broken.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if it was, then who’s fault would that be?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not mine!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s incorrect.” David swats at her, and Hilda ducks, giggling. “You’re a menace. You know that, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been told that on several occasions, yes.” Hilda says primly, standing up straight and fixing her beret.</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh.” David shakes his head. “Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>He seems to finally notice that Hilda’s not alone, and gives Twig a pat on the head and waves to Raven. “Hey. You’re in town for the parade, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why else?” the Thunderbird asks, and perches on David’s shoulder. “…Don’t answer that. It’s rhetorical.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snorts and claps her hands. “Anyway! Let’s get going. I wanted to see if those kites are back.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda pivots on her heel, and they all fall into step as they make their way out of the square and towards the market. David stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Let’s see if the masks are back, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why? Did you break yours?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I just wanted to see if there were any new ones. I like the way they feel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p> </p><p>As the four get deeper into the downtown area, more and more people start to fill up the space between buildings. This stretch of cobblestone walk is permanently closed off to motor vehicles, and has been for a while, which allows for people to mingle freely. The shops that open up onto the walk have all sorts of bird-themed displays and wares, and pedestrians and shoppers walk in and out of the shops as they please. Hilda, David, Raven, and Twig make their way past several stalls selling food and drink, and start to pop in and out of every shop that looks interesting.</p><p> </p><p>They stop at a bookstore first, large paper birds hanging in the display window. Several books on the history of the Bird Parade and its mascot sit on raised platforms.</p><p> </p><p>(They share a good laugh at a children’s book that has very silly drawings of Raven on them, and also at a history book that is just plain <em>wrong</em> about their Thunderbird friend and his origins.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda takes several pictures of both of those to show to Mum, Alfur, and Frida when she gets the chance. It’s just too funny not to.)</p><p> </p><p>In another store, one full of little baubles and nicknacks, Hilda finds a small statue of a colorful bird that she thinks Mum would like. It’s pretty inexpensive, as well, so she buys the little thing as an early birthday present. David finds a feathered hat he actually looks pretty good in, so Hilda urges him to buy it.</p><p> </p><p>They eventually do come to the kite stall. Large kites, made of both paper and plastic, flutter in the breeze as people pass. They’re beautiful creations, really, with streamers and feathers and a dazzling array of colors. There are several raven-themed ones, but also little sparrows and bluebirds and nuthatches that are a little bigger than the birds they’re inspired by. Hilda just <em>has</em> to buy one of the little sparrows. It’ll be fun to play with when there’s a nice windy day, and it kind of reminds her of her days as a Sparrow Scout.</p><p> </p><p>The four have moved on from the booth and are looking for the mask stall when Hilda feels the hair on the back of her neck stand up.</p><p> </p><p><em>She’s close, </em>her instincts, her Familiar bond, whispers, and Hilda <em>freezes.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh, no, no, no, not now!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda?” David asks. “What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>What’s <em>wrong</em> is that Frida is <em>close,</em> and that’s bad, because Hilda is <em>still</em> trying to get rid of this stupid, stupid crush, and seeing Frida right when she’s trying to make it go away <em>won’t help.</em></p><p> </p><p>She has to get away.</p><p> </p><p>Surreptitiously, Hilda desperately looks around, seeking out a way to disappear. She hates to ditch her friends like this, but <em>dammit,</em> she absolutely <em>can’t</em> see Frida right now!</p><p> </p><p>She can feel the witch getting closer. She can likely feel where Hilda is through their shared bond, and Hilda prays her panic isn’t leaking through.</p><p> </p><p>Frida is close enough now that Hilda can pinpoint where she is. One street over, making her way through an alley between two shops to get to their location- wait. <em>An alley!</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda doesn’t take any time to tell her friends what’s up before she ducks into a thin, dirty alley that they just walked past. The confused voices of David and Raven follow her as the Changeling desperately jams her hands against cracks in the wall, searching for an entrance to Nowhere Space.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Work with me here!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s turned into the pedestrian way at this point, and she’s so close now- a hundred feet- seventy-five- <em>forty-</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s hand slips through the bricks. With a burst of strength and of magic, she hurls herself through the opening and into the odd pink passageways of the Nisse space. The last thing she sees before she slips into the pocket dimension is David’s extremely unimpressed stare.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>And thus begins what can only be described as a disaster on the part of Hilda.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, in accordance with her strategy to avoid Frida until her crush goes away, uses every single excuse to get out of seeing her witch she can. Most of the time, this involves just saying she’s busy with schoolwork or Mum wants her to stay home or whatever, but, as the days go on, those excuses start to wear thin, and Hilda has to come up with increasingly inane reasons why she can’t see Frida.</p><p> </p><p>It’s been a few days since the first incident- where Hilda had to jump into Nowhere Space to get away in time- and what she’s managed to accomplish with her plan can be boiled down to: an increasingly large amount of guilt piling up, and, disappointingly, absolutely no progress with the whole making-the-crush-go-away bit. In fact, to Hilda’s utter frustration, it seems to be getting stronger. Every time she even <em>thinks</em> about Frida, she gets butterflies in her stomach, and she can’t stop thinking about how talented her witch is, and how wonderful, and how <em>pretty.</em></p><p> </p><p>That last bit is the worst, really. She needs to <em>stop</em> thinking that.</p><p> </p><p>(David was also very unimpressed with her antics, she had gathered from the eye-roll emoji he had sent her earlier.)</p><p> </p><p>Compounding the whole guilt thing is the fact that Hilda can <em>feel</em> that Frida is confused and worried and <em>hurt.</em></p><p> </p><p>Frida isn’t dumb. Hilda knows that she knows Hilda’s avoiding her, and Hilda feels terrible for it, she really does, but…</p><p> </p><p>But she just doesn’t know how to cope with all these new feelings she has. She’s practically exhausting herself with all the mental blocks she has to constantly keep up to make sure Frida can’t feel all the romantic affection Hilda suddenly has for her. For all the nights since she realized her stupid crush, Hilda goes to bed exhausted, falling asleep quickly. That doesn’t mean she sleeps <em>well,</em> it just means her conscious thoughts shut off quicker, and she is at the mercy of her dreams. The stress is getting to her; Hilda’s dreams are now filled with rejection and bond-breaking and fear and guilt and <em>terror.</em></p><p> </p><p>She’s making it worse with avoiding the source of all her guilt, she knows, but she can’t <em>deal</em> with any of this. She just… she just <em>can’t.</em></p><p> </p><p>And thus the montage of avoiding Frida in increasingly ridiculous ways. Like right now, actually.</p><p> </p><p>She’s at home, drinking a perfectly good glass of orange juice, when her cellphone lets out the cheery tune that Hilda had picked as Frida’s ringtone.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda curses and scrambles to silence her phone. Unfortunately, she somehow hits the <em>answer</em> button.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Hilda?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Ack! </em>“Frida! Heeeeey, how’s it- how’s it going?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Good job, Hilda. So eloquent.</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>“Good,”</em> Frida sounds a bit confused, <em>“I was just wondering if you wanted to come over today? We still need to read those books Tildy gave us about the emotional bond.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Shit. Shit, shit, <em>shit, right.</em> They still needed to go over and practice the exercises in the books.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I, uh.” Hilda mumbles, desperately trying to think of an excuse for why she can’t come over while simultaneously trying to contain the butterflies in her stomach so they don’t tip Frida off. She absently traces her finger along the rim of her juice glass when an idea hits her.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what, I’d love to- oh, shoot!” Hilda “accidentally” knocks over her orange juice right onto her lap.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Are you alright?”</em> Frida asks quickly, and Hilda is suddenly very, very grateful that Frida is not with her, because the grimace Hilda is now wearing is probably not that convincing.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I just, you know, spilled my orange juice on myself. Whoops!” she chuckles, and hopes it’s not too forced. “I should get myself cleaned up. It went <em>everywhere.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>(That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but Frida doesn’t need to know that.)</p><p> </p><p><em>“If you say so,”</em> Frida says, sounding a little skeptical, but, thankfully, doesn’t sound like she’ll pursue the matter. <em>“Raincheck, then?”</em></p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, of course!” Does she sound too cheerful? Whoops. “How about, um, the day after the Bird Parade?” That’s too soon, but anything farther out would be suspicious.</p><p> </p><p><em>“That works for me! See you later, then?”</em> </p><p> </p><p>“Of course! Bye, Frida!”</p><p> </p><p><em>“Bye, Hilda!”</em> She hangs up.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda sighs and faceplants on the table. <em>Ugh,</em> she hates deceiving her like this, but what else can she do? <em>Tell Frida she has a crush on her and that’s why she’s been avoiding her?</em> No way.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks up when she hears the distinct sound of an entrance to Nowhere Space open and close. Tontu stands on the other side of the table, his body language as unreadable as always.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll get the paper towels,” he says eventually, and his tone is flat and very, very unimpressed.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda groans and faceplants again.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>The next slightly-ridiculous event happens when Hilda is out on a walk on the side streets of Trolberg, just minding her own business and chatting with Raven when that oh-so-familiar tingles goes down her spine.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Not again!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Raven squawks rather indignantly as Hilda suddenly launches herself up a particularly tall and leafy tree that sits in a park they’re passing through. She clambers, panicked, up the trunk and finds a good, sturdy branch to perch on several tens of feet above the ground.</p><p> </p><p>Not a minute later, a familiar head of curly black hair appears at the base of the tree, blue-dyed buns bobbing gently as the figure’s head turns, seemingly looking for something.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda holds her breath, making a deliberate effort to shut off all thoughts that she might be projecting. There’s a flutter of wings above her, and Hilda glances up. Raven is sitting on a branch a couple feet above her, giving her a quizzical look, and opens his beak. Before he can actually say anything, though, Hilda gives him a death glare and mimes zipping her lips shut. The Thunderbird seems to get the message loud and clear and stays blessedly quiet.</p><p> </p><p>After a minute or two, Frida- because that’s very much who the figure is; that blue-dyed hair is unmistakable- moves on. Hilda lets out a breath and slowly starts inching down the tree, keeping an eye out. It’s obvious that Frida knows she was in the area, though thankfully, couldn’t seem to pin down Hilda’s exact location. Damn Familiar training, teaching them how to find each other.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as her feet hit the ground, Hilda groans and bends over, hands on her knees. This is <em>terrible </em>and she <em>hates</em> it but what else can she do?</p><p> </p><p>“Wooooow,” Raven drawls, unimpressed, from above her, and Hilda shoots him another death glare.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>The Bird Parade is two days away, now, and that also means that she has to meet with Frida in <em>three</em> days.</p><p> </p><p>This is decidedly <em>not good.</em></p><p> </p><p>No matter what she’s tried, Hilda can’t make the crush go away. It’s rooted itself in her mind and heart, and no amount of avoiding the source of the crush is working.</p><p> </p><p>So that’s why Hilda is currently holed up in the library, pouring over books on spells that could erase feelings. All she’s managed to find so far are spells to erase guilt and also spells to regulate anger.</p><p> </p><p>Neither of those are useful.</p><p> </p><p>Now, on a normal day, Hilda would go to Kaisa and ask if she knows any books that could help. The librarian is renowned, after all, for knowing what book a person needs even if they haven’t actually said what they’re looking for.</p><p> </p><p>This, however? This is not a normal day. Hilda knows Kaisa well enough by now that she knows that Kaisa <em>will</em> snitch on her if she finds out what Hilda is up to. Also, Hilda <em>really</em> wants to avoid being told <em>again</em> that she should just ‘fess up, because that <em>still</em> isn’t an option.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grumbles as she sets aside another book. Nothing, nothing, nothing, <em>nothing!</em> She scrubs at her face and picks up yet another book. The stack of books she’d compiled as soon as she got to the library is rapidly dwindling, and she <em>still</em> hasn’t found anything of use.</p><p> </p><p>…And this one looks to be a guide to meditation to control emotions. Ugh. She needs a <em>spell,</em> not some dumb method to relax her mind or whatever.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snaps the book shut and scowls.</p><p> </p><p>“No luck?”</p><p> </p><p>At the words, Hilda rests her head on the table to be eye-level with the speaker. Alfur peers at her from behind his thick glasses, standing on a book of his own that he had been perusing.</p><p> </p><p>“No…” Hilda mumbles in despair. Look, it wasn’t <em>her</em> choice to be helped by anyone, but the fact that she was trying to get rid of these complicated emotions through any sort of means- including magical- had slipped out after a fair amount of wheedling on the part of the elf that morning, when Hilda was getting some schoolwork done.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, frustrated, had snapped, then, and accidentally let it slip that she <em>did </em>have a crush. Luckily, no one had heard her, save for Alfur, who had immediately, to no one’s (Hilda’s) surprise, told her that she really should tell Frida.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, even more frustrated (if that was possible), had retorted that no, that’s a bad idea, because that would ruin their whole relationship, and had refused to entertain any more questions.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to not have this crush,” she had said, and her friend had thankfully listened. Maybe it was because she had sounded very pathetic, but honestly? Hilda doesn’t care at this point. These feelings need to be eliminated, period. She’s desperate enough at this point to use magical means to accomplish that.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, she’s found nothing of use thus far, and the stress of her deadline- three days to go back to normal- is weighing on her.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks, trying to clear the haze of frustration from her mind. “Have you found anything yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately, no. While there are many books on love potions and spells and how to reverse them, I can’t find anything on making <em>natural</em> romantic feelings go away.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda groans. “I’m doomed. Maybe I should just run away and avoid this whole thing. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a little dramatic, even for you,” Alfur puts his hands on his hips. “you know full well that Frida’s not going to cut you out of her life just because you have a crush on her. You two are too close for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell that to my insecurity,” Hilda grumbles. “I just- the rational part of me says that we’ll still be friends, even if I tell her, but I’m… I’m <em>scared</em>, Alfur.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s not easy to admit. She’s Hilda the fearless adventurer, who faces down danger with a smirk and a sword. She’s not <em>supposed</em> to be scared of everyday things that aren’t trying to kill her. Like feelings, actually. And awkward conversations.</p><p> </p><p>Alfur hops down from his book and pats Hilda’s cheek reassuringly. “It’s obvious that you’re beating yourself up over this. You know that it’s going to come out anyway, so why not do it on your own terms? You can have control over the situation if you tell her yourself, without outside interference.”</p><p> </p><p>He’s making a lot of sense, really, and Hilda hates it. She’s not blind; she knows her feelings are too strong to disguise forever if they don’t go away. Frida has already picked up on the fact that Hilda is deliberately avoiding her, and if she wants to find her strongly enough, Hilda knows she can’t avoid her. Frida also has a talent for getting information out of Hilda whether the Changeling likes it or not, and that’s bad.</p><p> </p><p>Ugh. As much as Hilda hates to admit it, and as much as it goes against everything she’s been doing recently, Alfur’s got a point. If Frida is to find out about Hilda’s whole… situation, Hilda would rather tell her herself. That way, it won’t come out all wrong. Maybe. Hopefully. Hilda isn’t great with words.</p><p> </p><p>Letting out a discontented grumble, Hilda sits back up. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe you’re right- <em>you get that smirk off your face right now.</em>” Hilda points threateningly at the elf, who has the audacity to look triumphant. “I’m only doing this because I don’t want to get blindsided by someone telling her out of the blue.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s reasonable,” Alfur shrugs. “and, if it’s any consolation, I don’t think it’ll go as badly as you think it will.”</p><p> </p><p>“And why’s that? Because this could end <em>pretty</em> badly, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just say I have inside informa-“</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda? Are you up there?”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur is interrupted by a familiar voice, and Hilda freezes. <em>No, no, no, not now! I’m not ready!</em></p><p> </p><p>“Uh,” Hilda swallows, shooting a panicked glance at Alfur, “yeah?” There’s no avoiding this, is there?</p><p> </p><p>She clenches the hem of her vest in a desperate grip as Frida crests the the stairs and makes her way over to the table Hilda and Aflur are sat at. She looks worried, and Hilda feels a stab of guilt. No doubt it’s Hilda herself who is the source of that worry.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hey!” Hilda stutters out. “H-how are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m good,” Frida responds, but she sounds a bit absent-minded. Like she’s thinking of something else. “you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you know,” Hilda forces out a chuckle. “fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good,” Frida pulls out the chair on the other side of the table and sits. She fidgets. “I… wanted to check up on you. Kaisa texted me that you were here, and since I’ve had a hard time finding you, I came as soon as I could.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks, feigning innocence and a sense of not knowing what Frida’s talking about. “Um. You’ve been looking for me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. You’ve been… off, lately.”</p><p> </p><p>Shit. She noticed.</p><p> </p><p>Frida reaches out across the table and gently takes Hilda’s hand. Hilda swallows, a flustered feeling settling in her heart.</p><p> </p><p>“Is everything alright? It feels like you’ve been avoiding me, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything to drive you off.”</p><p> </p><p>…Oh. Oh, <em>no,</em> this is worse. Frida thinks <em>she</em> did something wrong, instead of <em>Hilda</em> feeling wrong and trying to get the feelings to go away.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda turns her hand upwards, linking her fingers with Frida’s. A stab of guilt replaces the butterflies.</p><p> </p><p>“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Hilda whispers. She can’t seem to muster the strength to speak louder than that. “I just… I’m going through something right now, and I’ve… needed space. You know, to think.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s eyes soften, and she tightens her grip on Hilda’s fingers. “Okay. As long as I didn’t do anything wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think you could,” Hilda laughs softly, and this time, it’s genuine. “you’re too perfect for that.” There’s no panic that arises at the words, to Hilda’s surprise. Maybe because it’s true.</p><p> </p><p>Frida hides a seemingly bashful grin with her free hand. “Oh, please. I’m <em>far </em>from perfect.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hums doubtfully, and Frida swats at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop that. I’ve made plenty of mistakes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you say.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida laughs quietly and rubs her thumb over Hilda’s fingers. They’re silent, for a moment, before Frida speaks up again.</p><p> </p><p>“You know you can tell me anything, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, mute. Frida seems to pick up on the fact that she won’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to talk about it now, but, if you need someone to talk to…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll come to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida smiles, and there’s some relief in the gesture. “If you’re comfortable with it.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, and Frida stands.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’ve got to get going. I’m helping Raven Leader fix up the float for this year’s parade.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks. Bye, Hilda, bye, Alfur.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck!” the elf waves, and Frida waves back.</p><p> </p><p>Before she steps down onto the stairs, though, she turns back and smiles. Hilda smiles back, and a little bit of the guilt that’s been weighing heavily on her lifts. Not all of it, because she still hates that she’s caused Frida to worry, but enough that she feels a bit lighter. A bit more ready to finally tell her secret.</p><p> </p><p>“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Alfur’s voice breaks the moment, and Hilda’s smile falls into a grimace.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t even tell her anything!”</p><p> </p><p>“But you talked with her! And it didn’t go terribly!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh.”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur laughs, and Hilda allows herself to smile a bit.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it won’t be so bad, when she finally tells Frida, because she <em>will,</em> now.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it will all turn out alright. </p><p> </p><p>(So much for making these feelings go away.)</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'll be completely honest: this chapter, when first I outlined it, was first meant to be a lot funnier. The library scene was supposed to include Frida arriving, but Hilda, in a panic, makes Alfur read something extremely boring out loud and falls asleep from it, effectively avoiding Frida via exhaustion. However, as soon as Frida arrived on scene when I was writing proper, Hilda decided that it was time for an actual talk and I couldn't bring it back to the humor I intended rip. However, we're getting places, now!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Malcontented Rumblings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hilda receives a worrying update from the Lost Clan, and decides to tell Frida her secret a bit sooner than originally planned.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Things are really starting to move, now! This chapter isn't as long as I'd like it to be, but it's getting us places, and I like how it's written.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Instead of heading directly home, Hilda and Alfur, after leaving the library, decide to take the long way back, taking the road that loops around the city with the wall.</p><p> </p><p>This serves several purposes, really: one, it’s a very nice day and it’s great for a walk; two, Hilda needs to get her thoughts in order and taking a walk has always helped when she needs to prepare for a Big Talk; and three, they haven’t heard from the Lost Clan in a bit, and since the Safety Patrol is still a big threat, the Changeling and the elf had come to the agreement that it was probably good to go and see if anything had come up.</p><p> </p><p>The occasional car drives past them, kicking up fallen leaves as it goes, and bicyclists peddle by every couple or minutes. Most of the houses they pass on the inner side of the road have been decked out for the upcoming parade, garlands and wreathes of colorful feathers accompanying raven mobiles that people have hung on trees and porches. On the other side of the road, nearer to the wall, people have hung streamers in the trees. Due to its local importance, the Bird Parade is the biggest day of the year, even over the Winter Festival. All the schools in the city actually got the whole preceding week off, and people tend to go all-out with decorations and costumes. Back when they lived out in the Wilderness, Hilda and Mum had celebrated the Winter Solstice, and that was really it (besides birthdays), but Trolberg had <em>so many</em> holidays. It was both crazy and fun at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda picks some stray decorative feathers up off the ground, presumably from some decoration that fell apart and scattered its components to the wind, and rolls them between her fingers as she thinks aloud. She’s trying to come up with the best way to actually <em>tell</em> Frida she likes her, and, well, getting some feedback from someone who is better with words is actually kind of helpful.</p><p> </p><p>“How should I even go about this?” she’s wondering, watching leaves drift by with the wind. “I can’t just pop over to her house and knock on the door like, ‘Hey, Frida! So I’ve been avoiding you because I have a crush on you and I don’t know how to deal! Haha!’” She scowls. “That’s not going to work.”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur snorts. “Not that way, it isn’t.” He scribbles something down in his notebook. “You need to be <em>eloquent.</em> You could maybe compose a poem!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m terrible at poetry. Besides, that’d be cheesy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, your original idea isn’t actually so bad-“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Isn’t so bad?!</em> I can’t just blurt it out!” Hilda wails in distress. “It’s bad enough that I’m <em>telling</em> her, but I can’t just say it outright! It’ll come out wrong!”</p><p> </p><p>“I was going to say,” Alfur coughs, “it isn’t a bad idea <em>with some refining.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. “Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur hums cheerily. “If you have an idea of what you want to say, I can help you write out a script of sorts and practice it. Then you’ll have some preparation for the actual event.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda chews on her lip. “Thanks, Alfur, but I don’t think I need a script or anything. I just need a plan.”</p><p> </p><p>“You always do,” the elf says affectionately, patting Hilda’s ear. “Jumps straight into action, this one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which isn’t bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, not at all; don’t let me give you the wrong impression. Stressful, yes, but not bad.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snorts. “Actually, maybe I should apologize first. I <em>have</em> been avoiding her, and I do feel guilty for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“A very good start, indeed.” Hilda can’t see him, because he’s behind her ear, but she gets the impression that Alfur is nodding. “Break the ice, then maybe make some small talk?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda laughs. “What, should I ask her about the weather?” She puts on a cheery voice. “‘Hello Frida! I’m sorry that I’ve been avoiding you! How’s the weather today?’”</p><p> </p><p>The two share a good laugh at that, and Hilda feels a tiny bit better about the whole proposition.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Hilda comments after she’s finished laughing, “I <em>should</em> add some humor. I know she’s worried, so maybe that would help.”</p><p> </p><p>“Quite possibly. Maybe you should- oh, we’re here!”</p><p> </p><p>Alfur cuts himself off, jumping onto Hilda’s shoulder to point towards the wall. Even though there are several trees in the way, the crack in the wall the Lost Clan had built their village around is visible near the top of the brickwork, above the trees.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda dashes across the road (after looking both ways, of course), and navigates through the underbrush. She’s careful to not accidentally step on any elf houses or rabbit paddocks that might have been built in a place where a human-sized being could step on them unnoticed.</p><p> </p><p>Before they get close to the village, though, a pigeon lands on a branch very close to Hilda’s face. Said pigeon carries a familiar tiny rider.</p><p> </p><p>“Thought you might come ‘round soon,” Bartell intones.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.” Hilda nods. “Just wanted to see if you guys have heard anything recently.”</p><p> </p><p>Bartell dismounts, and Hilda’s heart sinks at the grave look on the elf’s bearded face.</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately, we have.” he shakes his head. “Just recently, our scouts got word that the Safety Patrol is planning something, and it will happen soon. They weren’t able to find out exactly when, but by the looks of it, it’s happening very quickly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh dear,” Alfur mutters. Then, louder, “were any movements observed?”</p><p> </p><p>“Aye. Smaller groups of officers have been spotted going out around the whole city. One scout reported to me that they all seemed to be carrying small books with them.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blanches, her jaw tightening with distress. “They figured out the spell.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now, Hilda,” Alfur says in a soft voice, “we don’t know that-“</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, we <em>do,</em> Alfur!” Hilda snaps, though unintentionally. She can’t help it, though; the worry is back. “Why else would they be carrying special little books around? I know what gear they usually carry thanks to Gerda, and unless they <em>just</em> their notepads with little books, I would know what these are.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a prodding sensation against her thoughts, and Hilda can feel a worry that builds after Frida assesses Hilda’s state of mind. Hilda’s worried, and Frida can feel it and can probably tell it’s about the Patrol, so Hilda can feel that she’s worried now, too.</p><p> </p><p>She bits her lip. “If they’re moving out so quickly, I need to warn the witches. I can text Kaisa and ask her to tell Tildy, and… I’ll see Frida today.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s the sensation of a small hand against her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?” Alfur asks gently. “This is all very quick-“</p><p> </p><p>“I need to,” Hilda interrupts. “if- if something happens, I want her to know.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you’re sure,” Alfur pats her cheek. “you’re a very brave girl, Hilda. I know you can do it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks Alfur,” Hilda smiles gratefully. She’s so lucky she has wonderful friends.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this about your crush on the witch girl? Good luck!”</p><p> </p><p>Aaaaaaaand that gratefulness is gone. She snaps her head around to her shoulder so fast she feels a muscle twinge. “<em>You told the Lost Clan?!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“No, actually.” Bartell speaks up. “Elves are just very observant.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda screams. Again.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>It feels good to channel all her stress and worry into something a bit destructive. Hilda eyes the notebook in front of her, gnawing on the end of her pencil, relishing the feel of the wood splintering slightly under her canines.</p><p> </p><p>(She may or may not be putting a little Troll strength into the action, though she is careful to not break the implement outright.)</p><p> </p><p>She’s trying to figure out how she really wants to go about revealing her secret to Frida, and although she’s not going to make a script proper, she at least wants to have an idea of how she wants the whole thing to go. Alfur is sitting on her shoulder, asking prompting questions to get Hilda thinking. However, thankfully, he’s quiet enough that nobody else can hear. Hilda isn’t quite sure she wants to tell Mum or anyone else, just yet, what she’s planning on doing.</p><p> </p><p>She jots down <em>Small talk?</em> as a whirring sound announces that Mum has started the dishwasher. They’d just finished dinner; Hilda, despite her best efforts at appearing normal, had noticeably eaten less than she normally did, due to nerves. She’d brushed off Mum’s concerns, citing the information they’d received from Bartell as the reason. She really <em>was</em> nervous, though not entirely for the reason Mum thought. She wanted to head over to Frida’s relatively soon, but needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>So, as soon as they’d finished and Hilda helped clean up, she’d grabbed a notebook from her desk and plopped down on the couch, pencil in hand and butterflies in her stomach. So far, the progress was: <em>Greet -&gt; apologize -&gt; small talk? -&gt; tell her???</em></p><p> </p><p>Yeah, so. Not great.</p><p> </p><p>“At least it’s something!” Alfur comments cheerfully as Hilda rolls the pencil between her fingers.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” Hilda sighs. “<em>Something.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, cheer up. You’ll do great!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hums. It’s neither an agreement or a disagreement, because she’s really not sure, at this point. It’s like. She <em>knows</em> Frida; she kind of has to, being her Familiar and all, and she knows, logically, that they won’t stop being friends, but…</p><p> </p><p>It’s the anticipation, Hilda realizes. People have been telling her Frida most likely feels the same way, and it’s the thought that maybe- <em>maybe</em>- they could be something more than friends, more than just witch-and-Familiar, that’s setting her nerves abuzz.</p><p> </p><p>But there’s also the <em>very real</em> possibility that Frida <em>doesn’t</em> feel the same way, and she’ll reject Hilda’s advances. They’ll still be friends, yes, but they’ll be the type of friends where one gets a crush on the other and it’s not requited and it just sits between them like an inconveniently-placed rock that just won’t budge. God, how would that even work with their magical bonds?! Would Hilda’s stupid feelings impede Frida’s progress as a witch?! Sure, Kaisa is pretty powerful and she doesn’t have a Familiar (to Hilda’s knowledge, at least), but Frida <em>is</em> a witch with a bonded Familiar, so who knows how her magic would suffer if they weren’t able to work well together anymore?</p><p> </p><p>…Could they break the bond?</p><p> </p><p>(If they could, that would really, <em>really</em> suck. Hilda’s gotten used to the constant presence that exists right alongside her thoughts, gotten used to being able to feel her best friend all the time. It’s comforting, to know she’s right there. Not being able to feel that now, when they’ve been bonded for a few years, would hurt worse than a simple rejection.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda bites down on the pencil. Hard.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a splintering noise, and Hilda is suddenly left with an eraserless-pencil in her hand. She spits out the end of the pencil she’d managed to bite off into her other hand.</p><p> </p><p>Alfur tuts as Hilda picks splinters out of her teeth, trying not to swallow them. She can’t exactly eat wood in this form, after all.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a ringing. Hilda tilts her head towards the kitchen as Mum picks up the landline.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” she says into the receiver. The furrow in her brow relaxes as the person on the other side says something. Hilda, despite being able to hear that the other person is talking from across the flat due to her enhanced hearing, can’t hear who, exactly it is. It’s obviously someone Mum knows, though.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Frida! How are you, dear?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grunts as a splinter pokes her gum.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda? She’s right here. Would you like to talk to her?” Mum pauses, presumably to let Frida answer. Hilda spits out the last of the splinters and fiddles with the rest of the pencil anxiously. She can’t pretend like she hadn’t felt like Frida would call or text at some point. She knew from Hilda that something was up, Hilda could feel, and was probably calling to see what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda!” Mum calls, and Hilda jolts. “Frida’s on the phone. She’s asking for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be there in a sec,” she calls back, setting the broken pencil and its shards down and closing the notebook. Alfur jumps off her shoulder as she stands and shuffles out from behind the coffee table. She grabs the proffered phone, holding it up to her ear and she fiddles with her scarf.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hilda, what’s wrong?</em>” Frida jumps straight to the point. Hilda bites her lip. While she really should tell Frida about what the Safety Patrol is up to now, she’s also resolved to tell Frida the… other thing today, and she can’t really do that over the phone in her kitchen with her family all in the same room as her.</p><p> </p><p>“Um…” she falters. What does she say?</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hilda?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I-“ Hilda tries again. “Some-something came up with the Patrol today. The Lost Clan got new information on what they’re doing.” Well, that’s one way to do it. But, before she can stop herself, she goes on. “A-actually, could I… could I come over? You know, just in case our phone line is being tapped.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida laughs, and Hilda gives a small involuntary smile at the sound. “<em>I don’t think they’d do that. Actually, I’ll come over there, if that’s alright. It’s a nice night and I kind of feel like going for a walk.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda exhales. That… isn’t preferable, what with the Patrol being out in force now, but, by the feel of it, Hilda doesn’t think she can change Frida’s mind. She bites her lip. “Sure, but <em>please</em> be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I always am</em>,” Frida replies affectionately, and Hilda pushes <em>amusement</em> Frida’s way as she shoots back with,</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, not too sure about that.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida responds with the sensation of an affectionate eye-roll. “<em>Whatever. I’ll be over soon.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. See you soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Bye!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>She hangs up, and Hilda sighs. The worry in her stomach gnaws a bit harder at the thought of Frida being out there alone. Hilda knows full well that Frida can defend herself soundly even without magic (she’d been talking martial arts courses), but still. Frida was a witch in a city that was <em>afraid</em> of witches. It worried Hilda.</p><p> </p><p>With that thought in mind, the Changeling sets the phone back down on the receiver with a little more force than is necessary, and slouches back over to the couch. She sits on the armrest and allows herself to slide sideways over onto the cushions. Mum’s face appears over her after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda? What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Besides the Safety Patrol messing everything up?” Hilda mumbles rhetorically, though, in her case, it’s not so rhetorical. She <em>is</em> worried about the Patrol, yes, but she’s also worried about the conversation she’s likely to be having within the hour which is <em>not</em> about the Patrol.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, besides that,” Mum tuts, sitting on the couch by Hilda’s head. She runs a hand over her hair, smoothing out the teal strands. Hilda leans into the comfort. “something’s been bothering you for a while, hasn’t it? You’ve been distracted.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Hilda mumbles, suddenly too tired to dispute anything. God, she’s <em>exhausted.</em> All the mental barriers she’s been putting up take a lot of mental energy, and all the worry about the Patrol and their plans has been wearing away at her resolve. Anxiety tugs at her every day, now, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep up a strong front.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you worried about what the Patrol might do to Frida?” Mums says gently, and Hilda turns her head to bury her face in Mum’s hip. “Oh, sweetheart.”</p><p> </p><p>She nudges Hilda up into a sitting position and cups a hand around her head to pull her head onto her shoulder. She kisses Hilda’s forehead. “It’ll be alright. Frida can take care of herself, and we all know the Patrol is incompetent. I highly doubt they’ll be able to lay a hand on her.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda bites her lip, a small part of her doubting the sentiment. Mum must notice, because she tightens her grip.</p><p> </p><p>“But it’s not just that, is it?” she says after a moment. “There’s something else going on.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda hesitates, chewing at her cheek, then gives a minute nod. It’ll be out soon anyway, right? Maybe it’s better to let Mum know now and not after Hilda gets her heart broken.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” she mumbles, squeezing her eyes shut. “I, um, I… kind of… like… Frida?” It’s said haltingly, the words stumbling out like they really didn’t want to but are being forced to be said.</p><p> </p><p>Mum’s quiet for a moment, and Hilda’s starting to regret saying anything, but then-</p><p> </p><p>“That makes a lot of sense, actually.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grumbles in annoyance, because, at this point, she should just accept that everybody but her has known that she’s liked Frida for a while.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that why you’re worried?” Mum asks, patting Hilda’s hair, and Hilda nods.</p><p> </p><p>“I… I was going to tell her today,” she admits, “and I’ve just been… worried, I guess, about how she’ll react.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum hums. “I don’t think you have to be. You’re best friends, and you share a magical bond. I may be your mother, but she’s your witch. She must understand you the best, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods.</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll understand, no matter how she feels. I doubt she’ll stop being your friend if she doesn’t feel the same. She’s a wonderful girl.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Mum,” Hilda turns her body to hug her. “why do mums always know what to say?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a special power of ours,” Mum says teasingly, returning the hug. “but seriously. It’ll be fine. You two are too close to stop being friends.”</p><p> </p><p>They weren’t four years ago, Hilda can’t help but think. Her heart aches a bit at the memory of when Frida wasn’t her friend and almost became a Marra after their fight.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grits her teeth and pushes the memory away. This is something her anxiety doesn’t need to feed on right now, especially when she’s so close to dispelling some of it.</p><p> </p><p>She breaks away from the hug and wipes at her misty eyes. “…Yeah,” she says. “maybe it’ll be fine.” It’s the first time she’s really thought that and (kind of) meant it.</p><p> </p><p>“Of <em>course</em> it’ll be fine,” Mum quirks an eyebrow. “I thought you were the always-optimistic one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, that’s most of the time,” Hilda laughs. “I think I’m allowed to worry a little, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“You have a point. I don’t think you’re allowed to <em>not</em> worry over your first crush.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda giggles, hiding her face in her scarf. Mum ruffles at her hair, then stands.</p><p> </p><p>“Frida should be here soon. Do you want me to make some hot cocoa for you two?”</p><p> </p><p>“That would be great. Thanks, Mum.” Hilda nods, standing up as well. She grabs the pencil she’d broken. Might was well throw it away. Without the eraser and with it being splintered at one end, it was kind of useless.</p><p> </p><p>She’s only taken two steps when a bolt of pure <em>panic</em> lances through her mind. The startled cries of her family barely register as she drops to her knees, the pencil falling out of her grip as she desperately grabs at her head.</p><p> </p><p>Terror, strong and heady and so, <em>so</em> worrying, invades every sense. Hilda can’t think, can’t move, can’t <em>act. </em>It’s not her own emotions, no; this is something <em>worse.</em></p><p> </p><p>Frida’s terrified voice rings through her Familiar’s head.</p><p> </p><p><em>HILDA, </em> <b> <em>HELP!</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>:)</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. And the Rain Fell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frida has been kidnapped. Hilda, though very, very distressed, starts to assemble a team to rescue her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So many people have yelled at me for chapter 7 and it's great 😂 I love you guys</p><p>Anyway, <em>PLEASE READ THIS</em>: in the beginning of this chapter, Hilda goes through something resembling a panic attack. I had a panic attack, like, four years ago, so I don’t really remember what it was like, so this may not really be like one, but I thought I’d warn y’all just in case. </p><p>For those who don’t want to read it, skip down to “It takes a few minutes…”. For a vague, nongraphic description: Frida’s fear from being in danger makes Hilda panic, but Johanna, Twig, and Alfur manage to get her calmed down.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hilda is hardly aware of her surroundings. All she is aware of- <em>can be</em> aware of- is the terror that pulsates through her, the fear. Frida- she’s-</p><p> </p><p>A blurry image pushes through. A dark street, the brick of the houses lit by streetlamps. Glistening puddles from the rain that is starting to fall. Rough gloved hands with small books. Wide-brimmed hats. Badges gleaming in the lamplight. Frida’s magic being forced to reveal itself, the blue writhing around its caster in the same fear that Hilda can’t fight. A baton, blunt and heavy. A hand raising it up, up, and swinging it.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda cries out as a spike of pain ricochets through her skull, then- nothing. Blackness.</p><p> </p><p>It’s worse than the terror.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda is distantly aware of the tears dripping down her cheeks, of her ragged, uncontrollable gasps. Shame washes through her along with the terror. Frida’s been <em>captured</em> by the Patrol- because it <em>was</em> them, they’d come out of the blackness with their stupid hats and stupid badges- been knocked out harshly, and all Hilda- her Familiar- can do is cry pitifully on the floor of her flat. It’s so, <em>so</em> stupid and unproductive, but Hilda finds that she can’t stop. All her body can do is struggle to take breaths and cry.</p><p> </p><p>She goes to pull at her hair- anything to give herself a different sensation to latch onto to get a hold of herself- anything to make her stop crying- stop <em>panicking</em>- and go save Frida-</p><p> </p><p>Hands grab hers. Fingers lace themselves through hers, stopping them from burying themselves in her scalp, and Mum’s face comes into focus. Hilda can’t see it that clearly through the tears, but it’s still there, Mum’s eyes on hers, lips moving- she’s saying something- Hilda can’t hear it through the blood pounding in her ears-</p><p> </p><p>Something furry buries itself under her chin, against her neck. Twig’s antlers softly bump against either side of her face, and Hilda, in a fleeting moment of clarity, latches onto the sensation. Slowly, she drags herself back up out of the pit of terror she’d gotten herself into, Mum’s hands still holding hers in a steadying grip. The words she’s saying are starting to make sense, too. She’s saying her name.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda!” She sounds panicked. “Hilda, can you hear me?!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods minutely. Her throat isn’t working, just yet; it’s still occupied with trying to get air in her lungs.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, Mum doesn’t seem to recognize this. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda tries, she really does, but her throat just <em>won’t work,</em> and another round of panic tries to crawl into her lungs. She’s vaguely aware of Twig pulling his head up, but it’s really the little figure on his head that finally manages to get her attention.</p><p> </p><p>“HILDA!” Alfur waves his arms frantically. Hilda’s head bobs down, eyes struggling to focus on the elf as tears well up and fall. Her semi-coherence, rather than pure incoherence, must be somewhat apparent, as Alfur goes from trying to get her attention to trying to keep her attention on him. He makes a rising-and-falling motion with his arms. “Hilda, if you can hear me, try to take a deep breath. Follow what I do, alright?” He makes the rising-and-falling gesture again, but this time, he takes a deep breath and exhales it. Hilda, through her haze, tries to copy him, breath stuttering as she gasps in a breath. It’s released in an uncontrolled rush. She almost starts panicking again, because <em>oh god, I can’t do this- it’s too hard- I can’t breathe- </em>but Alfur takes another deep breath, and Mum does it this time, too, fingers rubbing Hilda’s knuckles, and Twig’s put on of his hooves on her knee, and Tontu’s here now, too, and he’s got his hand on her arm, and Hilda sucks in another shaky, greedy breath.</p><p> </p><p>It takes a few minutes, but Hilda is eventually able to breath normally. She’s still crying, and she’s still panicked, but she can recognize now that it’s her own fear. Frida’s thoughts are blank like she’s sleeping, but it’s a harsher sort of sleep. She’s been knocked out, most likely.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda feels a tiny bit of relief that they’re not feeding into each other’s fear, right now. Then she feels a bit guilty about that. Frida’s in <em>danger</em> and Hilda needs to do something… but at least she can do something without someone else’s panic bleeding into her own.)</p><p> </p><p>“They- they got her-“ she wheezes out when she finally can. “They knocked her out-“</p><p> </p><p>“Who, Hilda?” Mum, still holding her hands to ground her, asks. There’s worry in her voice. “Who knocked Frida out?”</p><p> </p><p>Because she already knows, of course, that Hilda is talking about Frida. Hilda told Mum about the first bond when it was first created, and then about the second one when it was first suggested. She <em>knows</em> Hilda can feel Frida. She <em>knows</em> Hilda can tell when something is wrong with Frida.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda squeezes her eyes shut, tears burning her cheeks as they start to fall again. “The Patrol. She- she was just <em>walking,</em> and they surprised her, and they knocked her out and-” she can’t finish the sentence, a sob wracking her body.</p><p> </p><p>God, it’s all her fault, isn’t it? If she’d just insisted on going over to Frida’s house instead of letting Frida come over to her’s, maybe Hilda would’ve been captured instead. She could’ve fought her way out, if that was the case. Maybe her magic would be exposed, but the officers would be expecting a witch, not a Troll. Hilda could have taken them easily enough.</p><p> </p><p>But- they <em>were</em> prepared for a witch. They probably saw a girl walking alone in the night, with black robes, and immediately picked her out.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda whimpers as the image comes back: gloved hands grabbing at Frida’s arms, her coat, her hair, a garbled voice mangling a spell that was still effective, a baton raising into the air and coming down hard.</p><p> </p><p>Blackness.</p><p> </p><p>She needs to <em>do</em> something.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda surges to her feet- and immediately sits down again from the wave of dizziness that washes through her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda!” Mum chides, holding her shoulders. “Don’t get up so fast. You’re still-”</p><p> </p><p>“But I need to <em>do</em> something!” Hilda gasps out, interrupting her. “They’ve <em>got</em> her and it’s my fault-”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>No.</em>” Mum says forcefully, and Hilda growls, Trollish instincts flaring. That’s <em>her witch</em> and she needs to save her; doesn’t Mum understand that?!</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you give me that, young lady.” Mum’s face is stern, and Hilda bites back another growl. “If they’ve got Frida, who is very strong in her own right, who knows what they could do to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“But I’m a Troll-“</p><p> </p><p>“You are a <em>teenager</em> and my daughter.” Mum cuts her off, scowling. “It doesn’t matter that you are physically stronger than them. If the Patrol was able to take a well-trained witch by- by <em>knocking her out,</em> then what could they do to you?” Her scowl softens, and she suddenly looks… scared. “I’m not going to let you risk yourself, Hilda, no matter how capable you are. You aren’t fighting Trolls, this time. You’re fighting humans, who are much more dangerous.”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re most likely trying to bait the other witches into coming out to rescue her, too,” Alfur pipes up. “it might not be a case of grabbing the first witch they see and hoping for the best. It’s sadly possible that they’ve had eyes on suspected witches for a while and captured one that would draw many other witches out.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, Hilda,” he wrings his hands. “but your mother is right. We can’t just charge in and hope for the best. The chance that something could happen to you, too, is too high for us to risk a rescue without the proper planning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell you what,” Mum interjects quickly before Hilda can protest. “let’s see if we can find anything. We’ll take the car so we can get away quickly if the Patrol comes after us or something. That’ll give us some time to come up with a plan.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda sniffles. It isn’t the greatest plan- that would be actually going after Frida and saving her- but it’s… <em>something,</em> at least. As much as she hates to admit it, it probably isn’t a good idea to just charge in. She hates it when making an actual plan makes the most sense. It just takes so much <em>time.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” she eventually says, and wipes her eyes with her scarf. “but we’re going right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum helps her stand and hugs her. “It’ll be alright, sweetheart. Frida can take care of herself. We’ll get her back.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’d better,” the Changeling mutters venomously. The Patrol has done it this time, that’s for sure.</p><p> </p><p>Detaching herself and putting her arm around Hilda’s shoulders, Mum grabs her keys. “Alright, everyone in the car. I don’t want anyone here alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Tontu perks up, like he’s had an idea. “Mom, wait. I can go ask the other Nisse if they’ve seen anything. I won’t get caught, promise. The Patrol can’t get in Nowhere Space.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks at Mum. It’s a good idea, the more ground covered the better, but ultimately, it’s Mum’s call.</p><p> </p><p>Mum, on her part, is looking like she really doesn’t like the idea, but is considering it anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, she sighs and releases Hilda to kneel down. “Alright. I don’t like it, but you have a point. Just… just be careful, okay?” Mum holds out her arms, and Tontu leans in, grabbing her sweater with his little hands.</p><p> </p><p>“They won’t even know I’m there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>Hilda worries the fringe of her scarf as she stares out the window. It’s raining in earnest, now, and droplets streak down the windshield of the car. The streetlights cast a watery halo of soft light that at any other time would be comforting, but right now only give off a weak, pale glow that danger can easily hide from. There could be <em>anything</em> lurking in the space between light, between buildings.</p><p> </p><p>(Maybe, if there had been more light, Frida could have seen what was coming. Maybe she could’ve escaped, gotten somewhere she could have been safe in.)</p><p> </p><p>Mum drives silently, brows furrowed and white-knuckled hands gripping the steering wheel. In the backseat, Twig watches out the back and side windows, carefully keeping his antlers from scraping the glass. On the dashboard sits Alfur, carefully keeping an eye on sidewalks so Mum can concentrate on the wet road. Hilda, with her enhanced vision, peers into the darkness, hoping that something- anything- will show up to point her in the direction of her witch.</p><p> </p><p>So far, though, nothing has turned up.</p><p> </p><p>Mum taps her fingers on the steering wheel as they stop at a red light. Hilda stares at the red glow, entranced by the way the rain creates a bubble of light around the bulb. A slight haze coats everything, and Hilda isn’t entirely sure it’s all real. Maybe it’s the tears that still threaten, maybe it’s the dazed fog that won’t leave her thoughts. She sniffles, and Mum spares a glance at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to call anyone?”</p><p> </p><p>The w<em>ho could help?</em> portion of the sentence is gone unsaid, but Hilda understands it well enough. She has plenty of friends, yes, and many who could help them with this, but… she’s really at a loss for where to go from here. Her internal compass has been debased, and is spinning wildly, pointing every which way. She can’t tell where to go now that the one thing it always points to, her constant, her North Star, has been taken.</p><p> </p><p>She could call someone, yes, but… who? Who could possibly be able to pick up all of Hilda’s scattered pieces and- maybe not put them together, because only one person can do that- arrange them in a way that allows Hilda to work at bare minimum? Who-</p><p> </p><p>Hilda almost smacks herself. The <em>who</em> she can call is the one person who actually has any braincells out of her friend group, and the one person who can actually probably talk some sense into her right now.</p><p> </p><p>She fishes her phone out of her pocket as the car starts to move again and punches in her password, opening up the contacts app when the screen loads. She scrolls down and selects a particular item, holding the phone up to her ear when it starts to ring.</p><p> </p><p>One ring, two-</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hello?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, David.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Oh, hi, Hilda! What’s up?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Frida’s been captured.”</p><p> </p><p>A pause. “<em>What?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>It spills out in a desperate rush. What she’d heard from the Lost Clan, her decision to tell Frida that night, the terror of Frida being taken, the search they were now on.</p><p> </p><p>Through all of it, David is quiet, taking in all the information Hilda throws at him. When she’s done, he sighs. Hilda can picture him rubbing his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Why is it always us?</em>” he grumbles, and despite her current state of mind, Hilda can’t help but crack a small smile. “<em>First, you go and get yourself turned into a Troll, and now Frida’s been captured by the people who are supposed to protect us. It’s always</em> something <em>with you two.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>It’s alright, I guess. Maybe I’d be safer if I didn’t know you, but I’d be a lot less happy, I think.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww,” Hilda laughs- <em>laughs!</em>- and says, “love you too.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Yeah, whatever. Do you know anything about what happened, yet?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda sighs, mood sinking again. “Not yet. We’re looking, but we haven’t found anything. I <em>know</em> they have her though. I can <em>feel</em> it.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>With what’s been going on with the Patrol recently, I don’t doubt it.</em></p><p> </p><p>“<em>D’you think Ahlberg personally has something to do with this? He </em>does<em> have something of a personal grudge against you.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” Hilda growls, frustration bubbling in her stomach. “I wouldn’t put it past him, though. He’s stupid enough to think that taking <em>my witch</em> was a good idea. Well, if he even knew it was Frida.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Right,</em>” David agrees. “<em>he- or the other officers, whoever they were- could have just seen a suspicious-looking person and gone after them. That would be better, I think. Then it’s not personal and Ahlberg doesn’t actually know you have any magic.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grunts in agreement, leaning back agains the car seat. She looks out the window. The rain is coming down harder, now, and there is no one out. No other cars pass by. There is nothing out there of use.</p><p> </p><p>David speaks again. “<em>Let me tell my parents I’m coming over for the night. You’re going to need backup and a plan, yeah?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda mumbles an agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Gerda doesn’t live far from my place. I’ll go over and see if she knows anything about this.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds good. Just… be careful, alright? I don’t want both of my best friends to get kidnapped.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I’m not magical, remember? I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve got some of those charms Frida and I worked on. I’ve got a couple of ones for defensive magic.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Hilda says, slightly relieved that David has something to protect him, “okay. Just get over to my flat as quickly as you can. We can start heading back now.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Okay. It’ll be alright, Hilda. We’ll get her back.</em>”</p><p> </p><p><em>I hope so,</em> Hilda thinks. “Thanks, David. See you in a bit.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>See you. Bye.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Bye.”</p><p> </p><p>She hangs up.</p><p> </p><p>“Was that David?” Mum asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. He’s going to head over to our place after talking to Gerda, so maybe we should start heading back.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you’re sure,” Mum turns a corner, blinker light flashing on and off in the rain.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure. Maybe Gerda will know something about this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. Let me find a place to turn around.”</p><p> </p><p>After a few more turns, Mum pulls into a gas station and circles the pumps. The neon light of the station’s convince store signs blinks against the puddles on the asphalt. Hilda traces the path of a water droplet down her window as they pull back out onto the road.</p><p> </p><p>The ride back is as uneventful as the ride out. The rain doesn’t seem to be letting up, and the moon is completely covered by clouds. Normally, Hilda likes rain, but… not this sort of rain. It’s bleak and cold and dark. It feels hostile, almost.</p><p> </p><p>In the backseat, Twig rests his head on the seatback, half-lidded eyes looking out the back window. None of the car’s occupants say anything as they pass street after street, building after building.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>There’s three figures waiting outside the flat when Hilda and the others return. The first is David, and though worry is clear on his face, he immediately moves to hug Hilda when she nears.</p><p> </p><p>Her friend’s lanky arms wrap around her shoulders, and Hilda presses her face against the slightly soggy jacket. Her hands grip at the material, and she grits her teeth in an attempt to suppress another sob. David pulls back after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda deflates. “No,” she mutters, and uses the sleeve of her shirt to scrub at her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>David gives her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze and steps back so Hilda can see the other two.</p><p> </p><p>The second person in the hallway is, unsurprisingly, Gerda. She’s out of uniform, and a deep scowl is set upon her face. She’s holding an umbrella in a death grip.</p><p> </p><p>“David told me what happened,” she says, and though her voice seems calm, it’s a thin veneer over what sounds like simmering rage. “I promise I had <em>no idea</em> Ahlberg was planning this. Of course I knew he wanted to capture a witch, but I didn’t think he’d <em>go through</em> with it. <em>Especially</em> a child!” A muscle in her jaw visibly twitches as she practically barks out the last few words.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s gone too far this time.” Her gaze is sharp, full of conviction. “We will get Frida back, and then I will bring Ahlberg to the city council. He cannot be allowed to remain Patrol Head after this.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, too worn out to really give a more energetic reply. It would be nice, though, to have one of her biggest stressors removed from the picture. It would be even nicer if she doesn’t have to worry about her loved ones being targeted anymore.</p><p> </p><p>And with that, Hilda turns to the third and final person.</p><p> </p><p>She’s honestly not sure if she should be surprised or unsurprised that it’s Kaisa. The witch is soaking wet, and she’s holding the neck of the vacuum cleaner she’s gotten from the whole tide mouse/Jorts incident a while back, indicating that she’d flown to the flat in the rain. She cuts a slightly-intimidating figure with her cape falling around her shoulders heavily and her wet bangs plastered out of the way to reveal the furious look upon her face.</p><p> </p><p>“I know that something happened to Frida,” she says by way of explanation. “I came as soon as I could. I will help you save her.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks. As much as she appreciates it, she’s slightly confused as to how, exactly she knew Frida was taken. “I… as much as I appreciate the help, how exactly did you know Frida’s in danger?”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa’s furious expression only abates somewhat, a little bit of… guilt? creeping in. “I placed a spell on her a while ago to let me know if anything happened to her where she could not defend herself.”</p><p> </p><p>“…Does Frida know about this?”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa hunches her shoulders. “…She never asked.”</p><p> </p><p>“As overbearing as that is,” David pipes up, “maybe it’s for the best, at least right now. Now we’ve got even more backup.”</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose,” Hilda mutters, not exactly appreciative that someone had put a spell on her witch without her knowledge. It’s Kaisa, though, so that makes it slightly better because Hilda knows she wouldn’t use that spell to hurt Frida. <em>Slightly.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Mum interjects, carefully maneuvering around Twig, who looks like he could shake himself off at any moment, “everyone inside. We should have this discussion in private.”</p><p> </p><p>Before she can unlock the door though, Gerda puts a hand on her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me. We don’t know if anyone managed to get in while you were gone.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum hands the keys over, a worried slant to her eyebrows appearing, and Gerda unlocks the door, easing it open when the lock clicks. She stands still for a moment, listening, perhaps, then steps to the side and opens the door fully. “All clear.”</p><p> </p><p>The seven of them (one Changeling, one witch, one deerfox, one elf, and three humans) file in, and Gerda closes and locks the door behind them. The flat is exactly as they left it, mugs abandoned on the counter, broken pencil laying on the floor. Hilda makes a beeline over the couch and collapses onto the cushions. Twig hops up next to her and curls up as much as he can on her lap. Hilda buries her fingers in his soft scruff and scratches at his neck, relishing the comforting sensation. Timidly, as people are moving around the flat, Hilda feels for any sort of consciousness from Frida. There’s still the harsh sleeping sensation, but thoughts seem to be starting to coalesce. She’s waking up, then. Maybe that’s a good thing, but Hilda can’t help but wish that Frida stays unconscious so she doesn’t know what’s going on. She doesn’t want her witch to feel that distress.</p><p> </p><p>Her focus is broken at the sound of a door to Nowhere Space opening and closing, and two- not one- figures pop out from between the counter cabinets. The first is, of course, Tontu, whose body language telegraphs stress. The second is Raven, who looks a bit discombobulated. All heads turn to them.</p><p> </p><p>“I told him what happened,” the Nisse says awkwardly. “um. He wanted to come help.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” the Thunderbird yelps, leaning against the wall. “No one takes one of my friends and gets away with it! I’m helping you!</p><p> </p><p>“…After the room stops spinning. Wow, I am <em>never</em> going into Nowhere Space again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Have the Nisse heard anything?” Mum asks, getting straight to the point. Hilda perks up, leaning against the arm rest. <em>Please, let someone have seen something.</em></p><p> </p><p>Tontu shuffles his feet. “Several have seen officers out with weird books, and a couple others have seen them following people dressed in black. That’s all they’ve seen, though.”</p><p> </p><p>Raven, who is sitting down now, chimes in. “After this guy picked me up, we went over to the Lost Clan’s village. You know, just to see if they knew anything. I think one of their scouts said they saw a group of officers loading a big, lumpy bag into one of their trucks?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s blood runs cold. “<em>Frida-</em>“ she chokes out, fingers gripping Twig’s fur. The deerfox sits up to lick her face.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not all,” Tontu adds. “they said they followed the truck on their pigeons and went straight to Patrol headquarters. If that was Frida, she’s probably locked up in there.”</p><p> </p><p>“We do have several detention cells,” Gerda grumbles. “though it would be foolish to leave her in such a conspicuous place. She’s likely being held elsewhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“We <em>need</em> to find her!” Hilda suddenly cries, her voice ripping out of her throat. Some primal instinct rises in her, telling her to <em>move move move I need to find her I need to get to her NOW</em>, but she pushes it down harshly. She needs to have a clear head. “Let’s make a plan and <em>go!</em> We already know where she is-”</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda, hold on,” Kaisa holds a hand up. “we <em>suspect</em> we know where she is. However,” she sits down next to Hilda and puts a hand on her shoulder, “you heard Gerda. We do not know her exact whereabouts. We cannot risk going in and exposing ourselves if she is not where we think she is. Yes, I am worried, too, but we need to be <em>careful.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs angrily. “So what do we <em>do?</em> The longer they have her, the more chances they have to <em>hurt</em> her.”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa tilts her head, violet eyes twinkling in the light of the overhead lamps. “You can locate Frida with your Familiar bond, yes? I remember you were practicing it a little while ago in the Tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“But I can’t pinpoint her location exactly,” Hilda protests, shaking her head. “not without being able to go around the city. I can’t just… <em>feel </em>where she is if I’m sitting still. That’s not how that <em>works.</em>” Hilda loses a bit of control, and the last word comes out as a growl. It’s getting harder and harder to contain herself, she realizes, dread starting to pool a little in her stomach. Words want to come out as growls, and her body is tense, like a wire ready to snap, ready to launch itself out of the flat, out of the building, to where her witch might be. Her jaw is clenched, and her nails dig into her palms from the fists she’s unconsciously formed. Hilda makes an effort to loosen the tension in her body, and she succeeds, if only a little. Kaisa uses a gentle hand to pry Hilda’s fist open where its clenched itself in Twig’s fur.</p><p> </p><p>David sits on the low coffee table, long legs bent clear up to his ears. “Do we need to drive around the city? Gerda said they might not actually be holding Frida at the Patrol headquarters, but driving around the whole city might take too much time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t thinking of driving,” Kaisa says, and squeezes Hilda’s hand reassuringly. She directs her next statement over to one of the shorter people in the room. “I was thinking <em>flying</em> might be a little quicker. Easier to get around buildings, too.”</p><p> </p><p>The only person in the flat currently who can fly seems to realize the witch is talking about him, and puffs up. “Yeah! And I’m the best flyer around! I’ll certainly help ya, Hilda! You can count on me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Raven.” Hilda smiles weakly, and turns to Mum. “Can I go now? Please?”</p><p> </p><p>Mum, standing next to the armrest, runs a hand over Hilda’s head. “Of course. Go find your witch, honey. We’ll all be right here when you get back. But,” she moves in front of Hilda and crouches down. “come <em>right back here</em> when you figure out where she is. No charging in on your own. We don’t need you to get taken as well, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, and Mum stands back up a little to hug her. “It’ll be alright. Frida will be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda leans her head on Mum’s shoulder and exhales.</p><p> </p><p><em>Hold on a little bit more, Frida.</em> she thinks. <em>I’m going to save you, don’t worry.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Nothing can stop me.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Nothing.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Anyway I love writing scenes where nature reflects the characters' moods</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Essentially in Plain Sight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frida's location is discovered, and the plan is set. In the meantime, Hilda's not doing so well.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If y'all take a gander at the chapter count, you'll notice that I changed it from 12 to 13. This is because nobody has been doing what I outlined the past couple of chapters and I had to add one on because I'm actually a chapter behind what I outlined. Blame Hilda for this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rain is cold against her face. Hilda, upon Raven’s back a few hundred feet above the city, peers through the wet blackness. She’s lucky, she thinks, that at least she doesn’t need to <em>see</em> to feel where Frida is. She buries her fingers in the warm feathers underneath her as a particularly cold wind gusts over her.</p><p> </p><p>Mum, before letting her go, had insisted Hilda wear not only a raincoat, but a winter coat underneath it. A smart move, probably, Hilda thinks as she huddles even further into the multiple layers she’s wearing.</p><p> </p><p>Raven banks, and the lights of Trolberg briefly come into view before being blocked again by the Thunderbird’s wing. Drawing in a breath that burns her lungs with the dampness, Hilda lets her focus creep outwards to the populous below. She can <em>feel </em>Frida, yes, but there’s still no tug in any particular direction.</p><p> </p><p>They’ve been out for about fifteen minutes now. At Gerda’s suggestion, they’d started at the west side of Trolberg, over the harbor, and had begun to zig-zag over the city, hoping that a methodical sweep would cover every possible place the Patrol could have hidden Frida.</p><p> </p><p>(Hilda still thinks- still <em>feels</em>- that Frida is at Safety Patrol headquarters, no matter what Gerda says. Yes, it wouldn’t make sense for them to keep her there because it’s a little too obvious, but also: Ahlberg is an idiot and probably thinks it’s the best place to keep a captured witch.)</p><p> </p><p>They’re circling the skyscrapers of the downtown when Raven tilts his head back and yells, “Anything yet?!”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Hilda calls back. “I can feel her, but I can’t tell where the feeling is <em>coming</em> from!”</p><p> </p><p>“But is it <em>any</em> stronger?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe?! I can’t really tell!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m gonna go towards the mountains now!”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay!”</p><p> </p><p>Raven shoots between two of the taller buildings and, with a mighty flap of his wings, propels the two of them towards the looming black mass of the mountains on the east side of Trolberg. The Mountain, the one that holds the Stone Forest, stands the tallest, and only a few Troll-fires flicker on the slopes. Most of the Mountain’s occupants are probably seeking shelter within the cave system tonight instead of heading out to forage. It’s just <em>that</em> miserable.</p><p> </p><p>The Patrol headquarters, sitting a little to the left of the base of the Mountain, are easy to spot, though. The sterile buildings, surrounded by harsh wire fencing, are lit up like a beacon by all the spotlights the officers keep going throughout the night. Hilda tugs at Raven’s feathers.</p><p> </p><p>“Head over to Patrol headquarters!” She yells. “I’ve got a hunch!”</p><p> </p><p>“But didn’t Gerda say she’s probably not there?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but trust me!”</p><p> </p><p>The Thunderbird’s only response is to tip himself into a glide towards the well-lit patch of ground below.</p><p> </p><p>And then it happens.</p><p> </p><p>Like that afternoon in the Witch’s Tower that seems like it was so long ago now, Hilda, now that she’s concentrating, can feel a pull in the magic within her. It’s slight, but it grows the closer they fly to the buildings. The tug becomes a pull, and the compass within her suddenly realigns itself as they pass right over the compound. Hilda isn’t surprised when it points straight down. She knows she won’t see anything, but the Changeling still squints against the rain whipping into her eyes, desperately sweeping the area below with her gaze.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>The only movement below are the officers moving about between the buildings as they watch the perimeter.</p><p> </p><p>Raven banks against the wind, and the Patrol headquarters slowly disappears below them, obscured by a sheet of rain as they loop around the edge of the wall. Hilda’s internal compass, now that it’s found its coordinates, pulls against her insides as they fly farther and farther away from Frida. Hilda hunkers down against the rain-slick feathers.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s there!”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know what I felt! We can head back now!”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay!”</p><p> </p><p>Under the cover of rain and darkness, Raven is able to fly a bit lower over the streets so he can land on the roof of Hilda’s flat. Carefully, trying her best not to fall off the slippery roof, Hilda inches her way over the roofline to the fire escape. There’s a crackle of lightning behind her as Raven shifts back down to his smaller form and hops after her.</p><p> </p><p>Soaking wet, Hilda slips through her unlocked bedroom window. Twig, who has apparently been lying on her bed, perks up and yaps happily.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, boy,” Hilda shivers. The warm air of the flat is a balm on her rainsoaked face, but she’s also chilled to the bone, practically, and she really needs to get out of these wet clothes.</p><p> </p><p>She grabs a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants out of her bureau. Opening the door a bit to let Raven, who has come through the window as well, back into the main room of the apartment, Hilda yells, “I’m back! I’m going to change and I’ll be right out!”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright!” Mum calls back from the kitchen. Hilda ducks back into her room, shucking off her coats to hang-dry on the posts of her bed, and grabs a towel hanging on the back of her door to dry her hair off.</p><p> </p><p>The soaked clothes go in the laundry hamper, and the clean ones are a comforting warmth on her skin.</p><p> </p><p>Before she goes back out into the flat, though, Hilda climbs onto her bed and buries her face in Twig’s fur.</p><p> </p><p>“…I found her,” she whispers, and Twig licks her head. “they’ve got her, I can <em>feel</em> it.” She takes a shuddering breath, braving a delve into her own emotions for a second. The violent, writhing fury that’s buried itself underneath her skin is still there, but it’s worse, now. Hilda chalks it up to now knowing where Frida is. She’s <em>so close</em> and yet Hilda still has to <em>wait</em> to get her back.</p><p> </p><p><em>It’s not </em>fair, she thinks, and the rage stirs and bubbles a bit.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda opens her eyes, face still planted solidly in the deerfox’s fur, and bites her lip at the orange glow that illuminates the whiteness right in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>She sits up quickly, scrubbing at her eyes, shoving the rage back down. She can’t afford to lose control, not when they’re just about to make a plan to get Frida back <em>safely.</em></p><p> </p><p>Unbidden, Amma’s words from a few nights ago manifest themselves in the forefront of Hilda’s mind.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I do not know what would happen if your magic combines, but it could produce heightened feelings of protectiveness.</em>” she’d said. "<em>This could pose a danger to those around you.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda smacks her face. God, that’s what this is, isn’t it? Something had happened to Frida, and her Familiar instincts are screaming at her to go and rescue her witch, and her Troll instincts are demanding she go punish the ones who dared to <em>take</em> <em>her witch.</em> Her two types of magic are swirling around inside of her in a toxic mixture of protectiveness and anger, and the longer Frida’s in danger, the more volatile Hilda becomes.</p><p> </p><p>Twig whimpers as Hilda presses the heels of her hands into her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to try to ground herself. If she does end up losing control, she’d rather it not be in her house.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, there’s a knock at her door. Hilda quickly schools her face (and hopes her eyes aren’t glowing anymore) as she answers, “Come in!”</p><p> </p><p>The door cracks open, and Mum pokes her head in.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright, sweetheart?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda quirks a reassuring smile she doesn’t feel. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just… taking a moment.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s true, even if it isn’t the whole truth.</p><p> </p><p>Mum looks worried, but thankfully doesn’t pursue the matter. She opens the door wider. “Anyway, we’re ready if you are. Gerda has some ideas on how to get in, and Kaisa said she has some spells she brought to help you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods and swings her legs off of the bed, slightly-damp feet hitting the floor with a little more force than she’d meant to put into the action. Twig jumps off the covers, landing lightly on the rug they’d specifically put there so his hooves wouldn’t gouge the floor up every time he got off the bed.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda follows Mum out of the room, and the first thing she notices when the kitchen comes into view is that the kitchen table has been converted into what can only be described as a war table. A small mock-up of the Patrol compound has been erected out of various bits and pieces from around the flat, and near-reams of paper are scattered all over every available bit of table and counter space.</p><p> </p><p>While Gerda puts the finishing touches on the model, Kaisa appears to be copying something off of an old book she’s apparently brought onto a sheet of paper. She barely spares Hilda a glance when she sidles up beside her.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Blocking spell. It will prevent any technology from spotting you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which you will need,” Gerda interjects. “no matter what we do, we will need to do it quickly.” She gestures to the back of the model compound, to the side that probably faces the coastline. “This is the least-guarded area. There are fewer security cameras, and the guards patrol less frequently. This is where you have the best chance of entering from.”</p><p> </p><p>“If there <em>are</em> guards, though,” Kaisa straights, “knock them out. Also, David, come here.”</p><p> </p><p>David makes a questioning noise through a mouthful of grahm cracker he’d apparently grabbed out of the snack cabinet and wanders over. Kaisa retrieves another book from out of her cloak (where does she even <em>keep</em> those?) and sets it down in front of him. David wipes his hands on his pants and opens the cover.</p><p> </p><p>“A book on charms?” he quirks a brow.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. As strong as Hilda is, she lacks finesse.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scowls at that.</p><p> </p><p>“If you <em>do</em> need to knock out any guards, you need to do it in a way that won’t get you caught. You have some experience with charmmaking, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Tildy gave me some books, and Frida helped me make a couple.” He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and retrieves a handful of little trinkets. They’re mostly ordinary things, like coins and rocks, but there’s a couple scraps of yarn, as well, and the odd screw. He points to a silver coin. “This one’s been helping me with my anxiety, and this one,” he picks up an acorn cap, “makes me a little braver.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda eyes that one warily, an unfortunately vivid memory of David getting his head chopped off manifesting in her mind.</p><p> </p><p>“You sure that’s a good idea?” she grimaces.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, quit it,” David grumbles. “it’s not like that blasted amulet. I’m still scared as hell, but I’m not <em>incapacitated </em>by it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess that’s better,” Hilda concedes, though she’s still not entirely convinced.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa sighs noisily. “Focus, you two,” she reprimands. “David, these are a little more complicated than what you’ve learned so far. These are for combat and spycraft.” She flips a few pages, and points to a particular entry. “This is the one you will need. It will render a person unconscious instantly, without the victim even realizing it. It is quiet and effective.”</p><p> </p><p>David spins the book towards him, and bends over to get a closer look. He bites at his thumbnail as he scans the instructions. He glances over at Kaisa.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about this?” he asks. “It’s looks quite complicated.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not as bad as it appears.” The witch reassures. “Just… steppy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wonderful,” David mutters sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you do it, though?” Hilda asks. “Make them?”</p><p> </p><p>David squints. “Yeah, but it’s probably going to take a bit. And I’m going to need Kaisa to finalize them.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s ‘a bit?’ Minutes? Hours? Please don’t say days.”</p><p> </p><p>David smacks her arm. “Relax, you. A few hours, at most. We should still be able to go tonight. Right?”</p><p> </p><p>This last bit he directs at Gerda. The deputy crosses her arms and sighs.</p><p> </p><p>“If we can make a plan and get everything together in time, yes, we should be able to move tonight. However,” she levels her gaze at Hilda, and the Changeling swallows back a curl of anxiety, “if it take until morning, we will not go. We cannot act while the sun is up. Everything must be done at night.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scowls and goes to retort, but Gerda cuts her off before she can do so.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Hilda. You will most likely need to use your Troll form, and you cannot do that while the sun is out, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glowers in response.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I thought. We can make the plan quickly, I think, and we can move out as soon as David finishes his charms.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make these as fast as I can,” David picks the book up and turns to Mum. “do you have any little odds and ends I can use for charms?”</p><p> </p><p>Mum looks like she’s about to answer, but Tontu suddenly pops out of who-knows-where and hands David a little drawstring bag, popping back out as soon as the teen takes the proffered pouch. He opens it and looks inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, these’ll do. Thanks, Tontu.”</p><p> </p><p>A “You’re welcome” is called out from behind a cabinet.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” Hilda peers around David’s arm.</p><p> </p><p>“A bunch of old buttons. Some very nice ones, as well.” He holds up a button and examines it appraisingly.</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose you’re good, then?” Hilda pats his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Impatient,” David pokes at her. “but yeah, I’m good. I’ll just be a bit.”</p><p> </p><p>He goes and sits down in a corner of the room, book opened in front of him and buttons scattered in his lap. Hilda turns her attention back to the model on the table, and- stops.</p><p> </p><p>Her thoughts aren’t the only ones in her head anymore. Hilda can feel that Frida is finally awake, and is decidedly not happy.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda-“ the Changeling hears Gerda start, but she holds a hand up.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” she mutters, and quickly pushes <em>relief </em>and <em>are you okay?</em> Frida’s way, trying to not radiate too much fear and desperation, because those two emotions are very much what she’s feeling right now.</p><p> </p><p>Frida returns with<em> not hurt, scared,</em> and- Hilda’s knees nearly buckle at this- <em>save me, please.</em></p><p> </p><p>No true words are exchanged, but the feeling- the <em>essence</em>- of the words come through so, so clear, and Hilda is nearly overwhelmed by the need to go rescue Frida <em>right now!</em></p><p> </p><p>She grunts, eyes squeezing shut at the effort to stop herself, hand gripping the table so hard that the wood gives out an unhappy creak. She only releases the death grip when Frida seems to realize what’s going on and sends a wave of calm Hilda’s way. The feeling of <em>you’re okay, you’re okay, calm down, I’m fine</em> pierces the rage that nearly peaked, and Hilda no longer feels like she’s about to take off sprinting in the direction of Patrol headquarters.</p><p> </p><p>Someone touches her elbow, and Hilda looks up. Gerda is crouched next to her, concern on her face. She holds Hilda’s arm lightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, and disentangles her focus from her witch long enough to nod and reply, “She’s awake.”</p><p> </p><p>The deputy’s eyes widen, and Kaisa suddenly appears at Hilda’s side, seemingly out of nowhere. The witch looks slightly frantic, but looks like she’s trying to conceal it.</p><p> </p><p>“Is she okay?” she asks in a rush. “Is she hurt?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shakes her head. “Not hurt, but scared. I- I need-“</p><p> </p><p>And Mum is suddenly right there, as well, holding Hilda’s shoulders. “Sweetheart, calm down. We’ll get her soon. Just hang on. Gerda,” she turns to the other woman, “are you <em>certain</em> we can do this tonight?” She bites her lip. “I don’t think Hilda can take much more of this.”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa wrings the hem of her cloak. “She can’t.” she confirms. “A Familiar’s primary duty, aside from assisting with spells, is protection of their witch. The bond ensures that it is the biggest concern for a Familiar. The longer a Familiar’s witch is in danger, the stronger the urge is to save her.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shakes her head, gathering enough of herself to participate in the conversation. “It’s not just that,” she grits out. “Amma told me that, because I’ve got Troll magic, too, I might get dangerous if Frida is in danger.” She looks at the new gouges in the wood of the table. “I think she’s right.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then we move quickly.” Gerda steps back around the table. “I have already decided that we have the smallest risk of discovery if I go in first. As I am Head Deputy, I can go in and move around the guard schedules. I can open up a small window where there will be no guards in the back. Just in case, though, David will have as many charms as he can make. The faster you can get in, the better.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do we know where Frida is being held?” Mum asks, still holding Hilda’s shoulders. She’s glad for it, too, because it grounds her. The fact that Frida is consciously keeping herself an obvious presence in Hilda’s mind is helpful, as well. It lets her know that she’s alright, and it calms the Changeling, if only temporarily.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda scowls at Mum’s question. “That is where I am getting stuck. We have a block of detention cells in the east wing,” she points to a low “building,” “but it would be much too obvious, in my opinion. She is most likely being held somewhere more secure. There is a bunker underneath the complex, in case of a severe Troll attack, but I cannot be sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda frowns. “Would it help if I could ask Frida where she is?”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda blinks. “Can you do that?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda gives a half-shrug. “Sort of? When Frida was… captured today, I could kinda see where she was. Um. That’s how I knew it was the Patrol that got her.”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa punches her palm. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” She turns to Hilda. “See if you can open a channel strong enough for visuals, and describe to us what you see.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda scrunches her nose. “Okay, I’ll try.”</p><p> </p><p>She sends <em>need to see</em> over to Frida, and she can <em>feel</em> that her witch understands. It takes a bit of concentrating, but they’re eventually able to open up a connection at the same time. It feels like before, but instead of fear fueling the connection, it’s a need to see each other again.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly but surely, a picture paints itself in Hilda’s mind. It’s blurry, but she can make out a dim, earthen room, steel bars, a metal table. Patrol officers stand at attention. An iron door, seemingly locked. Monitors set into the rock wall flickering blue.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda relays everything that she can see, but too soon, it’s gone. The connection snaps, and Hilda is left with a weak presence in her mind. It seems like the strong connection, which they are very much not used to, sapped most of their energy. Hilda feels even more tired than before.</p><p> </p><p>She sags, and Mum catches her. “Hilda! Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“‘M fine,” she mutters. “Tired.”</p><p> </p><p>“It took a lot out of her,” Kaisa explains. “young witches and their Familiars are often not used to the level of magic it takes to maintain such a strong connection. I am impressed Hilda and Frida managed to hold on as long as they did.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum helps Hilda into a chair, and she rests her head on the table, the wood cool against her forehead. Out of the corner of her eye, Hilda watches Gerda stare pensively at the model compound.</p><p> </p><p>“Well?” Mum prompts after a second. “Did that help?”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda sighs through her nose. “Unfortunately, it does. The room that Hilda described is indeed in the bunker. It’s a secure holding cell for any captured Trolls. If they’ve put Frida down there, it probably means that they’ve modified it to hold a witch. It is now probably Troll-resistant <em>and</em> spell-resistant.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda rolls her head over to the other side and stares at the wall. She bites her lip.</p><p> </p><p>“Does the Patrol know Trolls have magic as well?”</p><p> </p><p>Though she can’t see Gerda at the moment, she can hear her tap a finger against the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Do they know that they are inherently magical? Yes. Do they know that Trolls have their own magic that they can use? No, I do not think so.</p><p> </p><p>“But where are you going with this?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda heaves her head up and props it on her hand, exhaustion weighing her down. She pries her eyes open. “Trolls can move stone with magic. If I get down there, I can probably push the wall aside or something.”</p><p> </p><p>David, who has apparently been listening in, pipes up. “But I thought you couldn’t do that yet?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda groans. “I can’t <em>yet.</em> Doesn’t mean I <em>can’t,</em> period. All it takes is motivation.”</p><p> </p><p>She lets out a jaw-cracking yawn after finishing her sentence, and Mum puts a hand on her back.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, that’s not a concern right now. I think we should finish up planning, and then you go take a nap until David finishes. You look like you could fall asleep standing, right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” Kaisa nods. “if you are to perform several spells, you should be as awake as you can be. Too little energy and too many spells are not a good combination.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda finally gives an agreement, but it’s <em>only</em> because she feels like she’s about to fall asleep at any second.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, they finalize the plan: Gerda will change the guard schedule and keep an eye out for them, and Hilda, David, Alfur, and Raven will get over the fence and meet up with the Deputy at the back of the compound, and she’ll lead them to the bunker entrance. The four of them will go down, and Gerda will stay behind to, as she puts it, look around for any paper evidence of the plot to kidnap witches. She apparently wants to get every bit of evidence she can so she can bring it to City Council and finally get Ahlberg kicked off the Patrol.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa will stay behind to watch the perimeter and gather the other witches. If anything goes south, she’ll be the one to handle it.</p><p> </p><p>Mum and Tontu will stay at home, just in case anything happens.</p><p> </p><p>The remaining four- the teens, the elf, and the Thunderbird- will storm the bunker. At that point, they’ll knock out any guards they see, and get to Frida as quickly as possible. Kaisa reassures them that the other witches will be able to alter the guards’ memories so they don’t remember who it was that attacked them.</p><p> </p><p>The gist of it, though, is that they are to get Frida back and get out of there as quickly as possible. In and out before the sun is fully up, and that’s it. They’ll save Frida, get back to Gerda, and get back to the flat, and nothing else.</p><p> </p><p>It’s not foolproof, no, but it’s <em>something.</em> It’s an actual plan. It’s another step closer to saving Frida.</p><p> </p><p>As Mum is helping Hilda climb into bed to nap off the worst of the exhaustion, the Changeling pushes one last thought Frida’s way. They’ve been holding onto each other ever since Frida woke up, but Hilda makes a special effort to send her the emotion of <em>soon.</em> Relief comes back after that, and Hilda can’t help but feel a little better.</p><p> </p><p>She’s <em>so close </em>to getting her witch back. David will hopefully be done in an hour or so, and when he’s done, Hilda is going to get her witch back. No matter what.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a waiting game, now.</p><p> </p><p>And, with Frida’s presence calming the simmering rage in her core for the moment, Hilda falls into a peaceful sleep.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay but Big Sis Kaisa rights</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Break-In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Patrol Headquarters is infiltrated, and Hilda starts to lose her grasp on her self-control.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finals prep and work are both kicking my ass, so this isn’t as long as it could be, so apologies for that. Also, like, this is my first year of college and I’m just hhhhhhhhhhhh because of all the work I have to get turned in by next week while also working 🥲 Ah, the life of an English major.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I <em>hate</em> Nowhere Space!” Raven yells as the four of them- Hilda, David, Alfur, and, of course, Raven- bounce along the oddly rubbery ground of the pocket dimension. Because they know where they’re going, now, and because it’s still raining and Hilda doesn’t really fancy getting soaked again, they’re taking a shortcut over via Nowhere Space.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Hilda calls back over her shoulder apologetically, “it’s the quickest way, and the driest.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t really want to be outside right now,” David comments as he bounces over a door in the floor. “it’s cold and wet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Agreed,” Alfur chirps from behind Hilda’s ear.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d rather be wet!” Raven yelps as he narrowly avoids flying into a wall. Something about Nowhere Space, he’d complained as Hilda had pulled them into the space between everything, messed with his magic and threw him off. The poor bird is now flying like he’s drunk, and though Hilda won’t admit it, it’s actually pretty funny to watch.</p><p> </p><p>David bounces up alongside her. “How much farther?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not too long, I think,” Hilda wraps her hand around the sheath of her sword, the worn leather a comfort in the turmoil that still bubbles under her skin. “we should come out close to the compound. Gerda said we shouldn’t try to come out in the compound itself, because we’re likely to be seen. Also I can’t cast the blocking spell in here. Something about it being another dimension makes magic finicky.”</p><p> </p><p>“You could say that again!” Raven squawks from somewhere behind them.</p><p> </p><p>They round another corner and hang a left at an intersection, and Hilda suddenly <em>stops</em>. David nearly bounces into her and Raven shoots over their heads and smacks into a wall.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Hilda says, but her focus is on her internal compass. She closes her eyes and concentrates.</p><p> </p><p>Nowhere Space may lead just about anywhere, but, if you aren’t a Nisse, you’ll have trouble finding your way around. Luckily for Hilda, she can lock onto where she feels Frida is and go in that direction, despite Nowhere Space’s magical dampening effect making it more than a little difficult.</p><p> </p><p>She opens her eyes. “Give me a sec. I think we’re close, but I’m not sure.”</p><p> </p><p>David glances over at an opening in the wall. "Let me look,” he says, and sticks his head through. A moment, then purple light crackles and pops as he pulls his now-soaked head back in.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s still raining,” he informs them flatly. “but I can see Patrol headquarters. Does anyone have an umbrella?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Birds don’t use umbrellas.”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately, no, though I really would like one right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“You could hide under my beret,” Hilda suggests.</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” Alfur pulls his little coat a bit tighter around himself and hunkers down behind Hilda’s ear a bit more.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, in that case,” Hilda shrugs and grabs onto the exit hole, “let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>She pulls herself through the space between dimensions, magic fizzling around her as it lets her through. Her boots splash into a puddle as she falls back into the real world through the crooked boards of an old shed.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a yelp as David stumbles through the exit, having had to get his gangly limbs through the relatively small opening. Raven shoots out after him, muffled curses following the Thunderbird as he overshoots and flies right into the branches of a hemlock.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda waits while her companions get themselves back together, though it isn’t easy. She can <em>feel</em> Frida, and the pull is stronger than ever. It basically takes everything she has to not run off towards the compound.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, she takes out the spell Kaisa had given her, hunching over to shield the papers from the rain. She scans the words, mouthing them as she goes along. While she can try to cast it a couple times, she’d rather get it right the <em>first</em> go. The quicker she gets this spell up, the quicker they can get going.</p><p> </p><p>She reads it over one more time, and straightens up.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright. Is everyone ready?”</p><p> </p><p>David flashes her a thumbs-up, Alfur voices his assent from behind her ear, and Raven wobbles over in a manner that is probably meant to convey that he’s good, as well.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda takes a deep breath, and starts reading the spell out loud. A blue glow starts to radiate outwards from her, and the Familiar magic within her starts to <em>move.</em> It trickles outwards, and Hilda can <em>feel</em> it wrap around the four of them. It’s not visible, but she can feel it all the same. It’s her magic, after all, and she can feel how it lingers even after she’s finished reading. The language of the spell had shaped the magic, given it a form to take. It’s a barrier, now. An invisible, intangible barrier that will supposedly stop any and all technology from sensing them.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda folds the papers back up and sticks them in her vest pocket, zipping it up to make sure they don’t fall out.</p><p> </p><p>She sets her glare on the compound.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>They stick to the treeline, ducking in and out of the wet shadows as they make their way closer and closer to the well-lit buildings. Raven flies above them, acting as lookout. So far, so good, apparently, as the Thunderbird hasn’t sounded the alarm.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda keeps a hand on the hilt of her sword as they creep closer and closer. It had been a gift from Tildy on her thirteenth birthday, and the arch-sorceress had enlisted some of the witches under her tutelage that had experience with weapons to train her. Hilda is quite good with it, now, and she’s brought it along just in case things decide to get worse than expected. The weight of it is a comfort, and the pommel is smooth against her palm. The sheathed blade knocks against her hip with every step, and the rhythm of it grounds her. <em>Step-knock-step-knock-step-knock.</em></p><p> </p><p>She thinks over what they’ll do once inside, again, just to make sure there’s no holes in their planning.</p><p> </p><p>Their plan, still, is to knock any guards out with David’s charms, but Hilda had been informed that she could distract the officers by fighting them while David snuck around behind them to knock them out. Raven, too, was told he could incapacitate guards by shocking them. Alfur will act as lookout once they enter the compound, and will go on ahead to alert them of any officers coming their way. They can’t see him, so he’s the best option for avoiding any officers they can get actually get around.</p><p> </p><p>It seems good, but it still needs to hold up under the actual circumstances, of course. Everything needs to go right, or they run the risk of either never getting Frida back, or getting her back injured. Hilda really would prefer if she gets her witch back unharmed, but, in a pinch, she’ll definitely take the latter option over never seeing her again.</p><p> </p><p>Frida, who has been keeping herself in the back of Hilda’s mind throughout their journey over from the flat, tries to send Hilda a feeling of being soothed. The Changeling sighs and pulses back a sensation of <em>thank you,</em> but she’s honestly too wound up at this point to relax any. It’s <em>hard,</em> honestly. The toxic mix of agitated magic within her is building and building, and, at this point, all Hilda can do is try to keep it capped for just a little bit longer. It’s going to come out, she can <em>feel</em> it, and she desperately hopes that no one she cares about is near her when it happens. It won’t be pretty, and, though Hilda knows her family loves her, she doesn’t want them to see her go completely feral.</p><p> </p><p>Her sword hits the trunk of a tree and snaps back hard against her leg. Hilda startles out of her thoughts and realizes that, well, they’re there. Patrol headquarters looms in front of them, the area lit up to the point where it looks like daytime, despite the sheets of rain that fall from the dark, churning sky.</p><p> </p><p>She holds up a hand, and David stops behind her. Raven circles back down and lands on a branch.</p><p> </p><p>“This is it,” Hilda whispers. “Gerda said to wait for her text, then get over the fence in the back. Is everyone ready?”</p><p> </p><p>She looks back, and David and Raven nod. Alfur pats the shell of her ear in affirmation.</p><p> </p><p>It takes a few minutes, but Hilda’s phone suddenly vibrates in her pocket. She fishes it out and glances at the screen. The time reads 1:34 AM, and a single text flashes in the middle of her screen:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You’re good to go.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She clicks it off and nods.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They take off running. Hilda and David sprint across the field surrounding the compound, Raven flying overhead. All Hilda is aware of is her heart pumping in her ears and the lights of the compound in front of them. The spell she had cast spins around them in invisible waves, silently sparking as it wards off electronic signals.</p><p> </p><p>They hit the fence. Silently, Hilda grabs David around the waist, and, using her Changeling strength, lifts him up. He starts, and almost exclaims, but Hilda shushes him and quickly uses another spell to jump the fence. They couldn’t climb it, anyway; the chainlink is topped with barbed wire and would’ve been impossible to get over if they had climbed it.</p><p> </p><p>They land lightly, and quickly dash behind one of the buildings on the outskirts of the complex. David pulls out his phone.</p><p> </p><p>“Gerda says she’s at the entrance to the bunker. Middle building, door should be facing us.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda squints through the rain. There are several squat buildings, but there is one that slightly towers over the rest. That may be it.</p><p> </p><p>“That one?” she points.</p><p> </p><p>Raven lands next to her. “Looks like it. It’s right in the middle.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda wipes rain out of her eyes, and hears the clink of buttons as David reaches into his pockets. She sets her jaw. “Alright. Follow me.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>They get to the middle building with little incident, thankfully.</p><p> </p><p>They see one guard, but the four of them see the figure in time, and manage to get around another building fast enough that they aren’t spotted. They wait, then hightail it when the guard rounds a corner and walks out of sight.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda is waiting at the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank goodness you got here alright,” she sighs. She’s back in her uniform, the wide-brimmed hat shielding her face from the driving rain. She lets them in. “Nobody else is in this building right now, though I would think there are guards below in the bunker.” She takes off down the hall, and Hilda, David, and Raven have to run to catch up with her.</p><p> </p><p>They round a couple corners and go through a few doors, but, quickly, they end up at a heavy steel door.</p><p> </p><p>“This is it,” Gerda sighs. “you will go down a few flights of stairs, and there is a hallway at the bottom. This leads to an observation room. This contains video feed for the entire area. There are two doors in the room; you will want to take the one on the left. Go straight, and you will end up at the room they are keeping Frida in.” Gerda rubs her forehead. “Do not engage unless necessary, okay? Stay hidden as much as you can. Text me if you need backup, and I will come and help as quickly as I can.”</p><p> </p><p>They nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Gerda.” Hilda attempts a grateful smile, and doesn’t know how well she achieves it. “I don’t know what I’d do if you hadn’t helped us this much.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ach, it’s fine.” the deputy waves her off. “I never liked Ahlberg anyway. He shouldn’t be on the Patrol at all, I think, so the sooner he gets removed, the better for Trolberg. And I’m glad I know you children,” she smiles. “you should be commended for how much you’ve helped the city and I.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda and David smile, and this time, Hilda feels as though it’s real. Gerda, out of anyone else in the Safety Patrol, is an officer she’s glad she knows.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda places a hand on the door. “We’ll be back soon.”</p><p> </p><p>Gerda nods, and hands her the key. “Remember: in and out. Nothing else.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make sure she sticks to the plan,” David volunteers.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” Hilda protests. “I’m good at sticking to plans!”</p><p> </p><p>David levels an unimpressed look at her, and Hilda growls at him. It’s nonthreatening, of course, because he’s one of her best friends, but, well. It just sort of slips out. She swallows the actual rage back as hard as she can. <em>Just a little longer. Just hold on a little longer.</em></p><p> </p><p>She latches onto the presence in the back of her mind as she inserts the key into the lock, twists, and pushes the door open. It gives a low, metallic creak as it swings inwards. A low stairwell greets her vision as the door gives way. Bleak reinforced concrete dimly lit by bare fluorescent bulbs set into the ceiling extends downwards. A couple dozen feet down, and the staircase disappears around a corner.</p><p> </p><p>She takes a deep breath, and takes the first step down. Then the next. And the next. And the next.</p><p> </p><p>She can hear David and Raven following after her, and can feel Alfur moving onto her shoulder. There’s a whispered “Good luck,” from above them, then the creaking of the steel door as Gerda closes and locks it behind them. Hilda still has the key, so they’ll be able to get back out when they’re done.</p><p> </p><p>The only sounds that Hilda can hear are four sets of breaths, four hearts thumping, and three sets of feet quietly descending the concrete steps. Before they round the first corner, though, they pause. Hilda holds a hand up and listens<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>The Changeling gives a thumbs-up, and they start moving again.</p><p> </p><p>The compass in her core is now a hook that’s latched onto her and is <em>pulling</em> her forwards. With every corner they have to pause at, Hilda has to actively make her feet stop moving. It takes a large amount of concentration to be rational, and her patience is quickly wearing out. All she wants- <em>needs</em>- to do is take off down the stairwell with no regards for who sees her, and get Frida out of here as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>The only thing stopping her is Frida herself.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda can feel that Frida is actively trying to suppress her wilder instincts. A wave of calm blankets her mind every time the rage flares up, and Hilda is eternally grateful for it.</p><p> </p><p>David, as well, is a steadying presence at her back. More than once, he’s had to grab her shoulder to stop her from rounding a corner without stopping. She mutters a <em>thanks</em> over her shoulder every time.</p><p> </p><p>And so, they descend. The stairwell goes down for a couple hundred feet, at least, with multiple turns and a few doorways at various landings.</p><p> </p><p>It’s <em>creepy.</em></p><p> </p><p>Luckily, though, they encounter no guards, and they arrive safely at the bottom. Like Gerda had said, there is a singular hallway at the bottom that goes in one direction. If Hilda squints, she can make out the shape of door at the end.</p><p> </p><p>“Down there?” Raven asks, and Hilda nods.</p><p> </p><p>“I can see a door all the way at the end. That must be the observation room.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, then, let’s move quickly,” Alfur says. “the sooner we get down there, the better. Who knows when the officers will show up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Hilda nods, and David pats her other shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s be careful though, alright? Running <em>is</em> loud, and there are doors all the way down. There could be people behind them.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grumbles, but starts moving a lot slower than she’d like. God, it’s <em>excruciating, </em>having to take it slow. Like before, all her legs want to do is sprint. Slowing down is a genuine effort on her part.</p><p> </p><p>But, nevertheless, they creep down the corridor. Hilda can hear faint movement behind the doors they pass every once in a while, and, quietly, she points to them to indicate which ones they need to watch out for.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily for them, though, none of the doors have windows. They’re the same reinforced steel as the entrance, probably in anticipation of a Troll attack.</p><p> </p><p>Not that that would really ever happen if Hilda has anything to say about it, but whatever.</p><p> </p><p>They’re <em>almost</em> to the observation room’s door when it happens.</p><p> </p><p>It’s almost like the world has reverted to slow motion. In front of them, one of the doors on the side of the hallway swings open in what seems like double the time it would normally take. They skid to a halt, but it feels more like a slow stop.</p><p> </p><p>An officer emerges, and is apparently so engrossed with the folder he’s holding that he turns to go down the way the four of them came and takes a couple steps before he notices them.</p><p> </p><p>For a second, nobody moves.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks. The officer blinks.</p><p> </p><p>They come to their senses at the same time. The man shouts and goes to grab for what looks to be his walkie-talkie, and Hilda starts to move, starts to draw her sword, but before either of them can do anything, David yells and chucks something at the officer.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a button- one of his charms.</p><p> </p><p>Amazingly, it hits the officer <em>right</em> between the eyes. There’s a flash of purple light- Kaisa’s magic, stored within- and the man goes down like a sack of potatoes.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, Raven, and Alfur stare.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I didn’t know it was going to be <em>that</em> effective,” Alfur breaks the silence. “though we should <em>probably</em> start running. We did just make quite a commotion.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” David nods.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda just starts running, and David and Raven shout as they take off after her. Just in time, too, because Hilda is starting to hear voices talking in concerned tones from behind the doors she sprints past.</p><p> </p><p>They reach the door. Hilda, praying it isn’t locked, pulls on the handle with all the strength she has. It flies open, and she turns. Raven, who had taken wing, shoots inside. David is lagging behind, though, and Hilda glances past him anxiously. No one yet, but a door at the end is starting to open.</p><p> </p><p>“Quickly, quickly!” Alfur calls at him from her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m coming!” David pants. “Hold on!”</p><p> </p><p>Another door starts to swing open-</p><p> </p><p>David finally reaches them and ducks inside-</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shuts the door and, not even checking for a lock, presses a sealant spell against the metal.</p><p> </p><p>She exhales and rests her forehead against the steel. Blue light flickers over the metal from the rows of monitors built into the walls. She looks at them out of the corner of her eye. Video feed from around the compound perimeter fills each screen, though some feature hallways instead.</p><p> </p><p>“That was close,” David gasps. She turns, and he’s hunched over, hands on his knees. Raven radiates stress, feathers puffed up and sparks dancing over his form.</p><p> </p><p>“Too close,” the Thunderbird agrees, eyes wide.</p><p> </p><p>On Hilda’s shoulder, Alfur pulls his coat around himself a little tighter. “They’re bound to have alerted the whole compound by now.” he says gravely. “We need to be quick and watch our step. They know we’re here, even if they don’t know who we are, exactly.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda swears and pushes off the door. “Gerda said the door on the left. Let’s go before they find us.”</p><p> </p><p>She starts to walk over to the exit, but David’s voice stops her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, these are from the library,” he says. She stops and turns, and he’s holding up a stack of books. She blinks as Raven hops onto the table beside the pile.</p><p> </p><p>“And they’re on… finding witches!” he squawks accusingly.</p><p> </p><p>“These must be the books Kaisa said they took out.” David looks over at her. “That’s why they’re down here. This must be where they worked out the spells.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s fists clench, nails digging into her palms. This is where they’d conspired to capture witches. This is where they’d decided to <em>take Frida.</em></p><p> </p><p>She has to hold herself back from flipping a table, from destroying the room. It holds nothing good, after all.</p><p> </p><p>Frida sends <em>concern</em> over, but even that is not enough to make Hilda relax enough.</p><p> </p><p>She’s gripped a chair and is about to throw it when Alfur pats at her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda,” he says quietly, and she stops. She looks at the table in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>A worn wooden peg sits on the cold metal surface. A yellow tag is wrapped around it with something scribbled on the plastic.</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s wand.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Her witch’s WAND.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hilda sees red.</p><p> </p><p>She snarls, rage coursing through her body uncontrollably. She’s <em>furious.</em> She is aware of nothing but anger, of a flaring protective instinct that <em>screams</em> at her to get Frida back <em>RIGHT NOW</em> no matter what.</p><p> </p><p>Her magic flares, and she is a Troll. Her eyes burn orange, her stone fingers dent the steel table. Red-hot fury pools in her stomach, blue sparks crackling along her limbs.</p><p> </p><p>She bares her teeth.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re finding Frida. <em>Now.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE BEEN WANTING TO DRAW THAT PICTURE</p><p>IT’S BEEN IN MY HEAD SINCE BEFORE I STARTED OUTLINING THE FIC AND NOW I’VE ACTUALLY DRAWN IT AAAAAAHHHHH</p><p>It’s one of the things I’ve known I’ve wanted to draw/write for the story since before I began writing and a u g h we’re finally getting to the parts I’ve had in my head from the beginning and I am SO EXCITED oh my god</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frida's rescue is finally within grasp, and Hilda faces down her greatest enemy.</p><p>Or, Hilda goes apeshit.</p><p>Or, the Patrol gets their asses kicked by an angry lesbian with magic.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Eeeeeeeee we're finally here!! This chapter has been living in my head rent-free from even before I started outlining proper, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it was certain scenes from in this chapter that inspired me to write this!! I actually wrote out some of the scenes in my car on my laptop when they hit me lmao, and I incorporated those into the actual chapter. </p><p>I also just want to give a huge thank-you to those of you who have stuck by this since chapter one!! I may not know who all of y'all are, but rest assured I appreciate all of you :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It doesn’t matter now who hears her. Hilda <em>wants</em> the Patrol to know she’s here, that she’s <em>pissed</em> and that none of them can stop her.</p><p> </p><p>David has just enough time to pocket Frida’s wand and hold out a hand for Alfur to scramble onto before Hilda kicks the door down. The steel crumples under her stone foot, and the hinges give way like they’re made of tissue paper. The resounding clanging of metal harshly meeting cement echoes out around them, and Hilda is vaguely aware of startled voices all around her. Some of them are her friends, most of them are not.</p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t care.</p><p> </p><p>Like her clothes, her sword has vanished alongside her human form with the spell she’d put in place a while ago, but that doesn’t matter, either. She’s a Troll now. She’s strong. Humans and their weapons can’t hurt her in this form, with this magic.</p><p> </p><p>Her steps thunder through the bunker as she takes off down the corridor on the other side of the door. Hilda is aware of the others following her, but, right now, it’s only as an observation. There is no emotion tied to it. All she needs now is to <em>find Frida.</em></p><p> </p><p>She lets their bond pull her onwards. It’s the only thing she can focus on, right now, though she can feel her witch trying to break her focus. Hilda puts up a mental block. She is aware that Frida doesn’t want her to hurt anyone, but in terms of priorities, it isn’t high on the list. These people had <em>taken</em> her witch, and they deserve to be punished for it.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda is a few dozen feet down the hallway when the lights shut off. There is a startled squawk and confused voices behind her, but Hilda doesn’t stop. She can see fine in the dark, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>However, before she can take another step, the lights flicker back on, but they are now blood-red. An alarm bell pierces through the dry underground air, and Hilda snarls, baring her teeth and shaking her head. The ringing stabs through her conscious, hurting her ears and giving her an immediate headache.</p><p> </p><p>“A Troll-bell!” one of her friends gasps behind her.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve been spotted!” cries another.</p><p> </p><p>Acting on instinct, Hilda uses her Familiar magic- not her Troll magic, the bell is interfering with that- and uses a spell to dull the sound she can hear. The ringing fades to a tolerable level, and she continues on, heedless of whether or not her friends are following her.</p><p> </p><p>In the dimness of the red light, doors start to open. Officers, clad in cloaks and wide-brimmed hats that hide their faces, start to appear. They hold weapons of some sort, though Hilda doesn’t care to identify them. They yell at her, probably telling her to stop, to not come any closer, but Hilda does not heed them. They are not who she is here for, therefore, she does not care about them. They are, however, in her way, so they must be dealt with. </p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t stop.</p><p> </p><p>She starts running towards them, a snarl on her lips and a growl in her chest. Her magic flares, and as they start to lift their weapons, she hits first. A fireball- real fire this time, not an illusion- bursts to life in her hand, and she throws it at them like one would a baseball. The officers shout and scatter, and Hilda takes the opportunity to belt one across the face, though not hard enough to kill or seriously injure. The officer goes sprawling, and another rushes at her, some sort of gun in their hands. They stop and raise it, and Hilda goes to shield herself, arms across her face, but electricity suddenly arcs across her vision.</p><p> </p><p>A mass of black feathers streaks through the corridor, and several officers scream as lighting suddenly freezes them in their tracks. They drop their weapons, and Hilda takes advantage of the momentary distraction to stomp the metal contraptions to bits. The officers fall, and David’s lanky figure rushes over to press small objects against their foreheads, small bursts of purple light signaling that they are down for the count.</p><p> </p><p>She hears a faint whistling behind her, and Hilda ducks. Just in time, too, because one officer has apparently just tried to club her. <em>Just like they’d clubbed Frida.</em></p><p> </p><p>Her eyes <em>burn,</em> and Hilda slowly turns. The officer- a man with a gaunt face and wide eyes- visibly gulps and starts backing away.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda headbutts him in the stomach.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a grim satisfaction in how the man goes down, and Hilda smirks slightly when she realizes that it’s not just her satisfaction- Frida is apparently feeling a bit of justice at one of <em>them</em> being taken down for trying something similar to what they’d done to her.</p><p> </p><p>Without getting up from the crouch she’d landed in, Hilda kicks out a leg, tripping several officers in the process. They go down hard, and David is quick to incapacitate them. He shoves the used charms into his pockets.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to get on with it!” he pants. “I don’t have an infinite amount of these!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda gives a harsh nod of acknowledgment, and grabs and officer, throwing her into a line of her fellows that had tried to form a barricade in the direction Hilda needs to go. One tries to catch the flying officer, and goes down hard for it, but most of them scatter.</p><p> </p><p>Without any words of warning, Hilda takes the opportunity to sprint past them, though, at Frida’s silent urging, she makes sure David, Raven, and Alfur are following her.</p><p> </p><p>She bites back a screech of frustration when she spots more officers charging down the hall from the way they came. She stops and turns on her heel, intending to run back and take them out, but, just before she can throw her body towards them in the manner of an angered Troll, a sunburst of yellow lights up the concrete walls.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a collection of startled yelps, but they’re quickly cut off. Hilda blinks, and though spots dance in her eyes, she can see that all the officers around them have been knocked out.</p><p> </p><p>She rubs her eyes with a stony fist. <em>Huh?</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda shakes her head to clear her vision, and realizes that, no, there <em>is</em> still someone that not she or David still standing.</p><p> </p><p>A spot of yellow chases away the red alarm lights, and Hilda can finally tell who it is: a witch stands in the hallway, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of the Patrol officers, face lit by the gentle light of her magic. She peers at them from behind large, round glasses.</p><p> </p><p>“Kaisa sent us,” she informs them in a soft voice. “the other witches. We will take care of the officers.”</p><p> </p><p>Tension sloughs off of her at the realization that this person is, in fact, there to help her, and Hilda feels like she can breathe again. She exhales, and her shoulders don’t feel as tense.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, thank goodness,” David sighs. “backup. I was running out of these things.” He rattles his pouch of buttons with relief.</p><p> </p><p>The witch carefully steps over a few bodies, looking back over her shoulder. “Go. Do not worry about knocking out the guards. Just get your witch, and we will clean up after you.”</p><p> </p><p>Though her throat is tight with worry, with anger, Hilda nods.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” she grits out.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, thanks,” Raven chimes in, and flutters over to Hilda, landing on her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright! Let’s go get Frida!”</p><p> </p><p>They take off down the long, red hallway, the witch’s sunny yellow light fading behind them as they round another corner.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Let’s go.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>It is well-known that most witches have a Familiar, and Familiars, of course, are the well-known companions of witches.</p><p> </p><p>These Familiars have many duties that they carry out for their witch, and have many titles they prefer to show their bond with a witch.</p><p> </p><p>Some prefer the identity of an associate, some an assistant, and still others prefer companion.</p><p> </p><p>But, overall, a Familiar provides one essential service to their witch, no matter what title they use: they are to protect their witch no matter what, through all circumstances life throws at a bonded pair. Through life and even death, a Familiar vows to keep their witch safe.</p><p> </p><p>And Hilda has failed that one simple task.</p><p> </p><p>Frida, her best friend, her <em>witch</em>, has been taken, been snatched from her by those who hated all magic and those who practiced it.</p><p> </p><p>She’s <em>failed.</em></p><p> </p><p>She knows a good deal of magic, of course; all Familiars do, and Hilda uses spells regularly in her everyday life. Magic is essential in helping a witch, in protecting them. But even still, with all the magic she knows, for all the swordplay, <em>she couldn’t stop them from taking Frida.</em></p><p> </p><p>It’s her fault, all her fault, that her best friend, her crush, was taken for… for <em>what?!</em> For some <em>stupid</em> plot to drive witches out of Trolberg? Besides, Frida’s a teenager. The Patrol shouldn’t have targeted her, shouldn’t haven taken her because she’s a <em>teenager</em>. A <em>kid.</em></p><p> </p><p>Isn’t that illegal? Isn’t that <em>kidnapping?</em></p><p> </p><p>Traitorously, as they round corner after corner, winding deeper into the Earth, Hilda wishes they had taken Kaisa instead, or maybe Tildy. They were older, more experienced. Frida <em>wasn’t</em>, and it was all her fault. She couldn’t protect her.</p><p> </p><p>(There’s a reprimanding feeling from Frida in the back of her mind, but Hilda doesn’t parse it thoroughly. It could be from the wishing they’d taken a different witch, or it could be from thinking badly of herself. Hilda really doesn’t care at this point. The only thing worth thinking about is getting Frida back.)</p><p> </p><p>She grits her teeth, ignoring the feeling coming her way that it’s not her fault, because <em>of course</em> it is.</p><p> </p><p>…Maybe she doesn’t deserve to be a Familiar. Humans aren’t supposed to be Familiars, really, and Changelings- <em>Trolls</em>- less so.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shakes her head after a moment, hooking around another corner. For all her guilt, she can’t afford to have these thoughts right now. She has to get to Frida as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Another turn, another few guards.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, not pausing for even a second, decks two as soon as they come within punching range, and Raven, flying right behind her, takes out the other three with a blast of static.</p><p> </p><p>David and Alfur follow more carefully, hopping over some downed officers and trying not step to on any of them. Hilda purposefully ignores the looks they give her.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought I was going to go on ahead,” Alfur coughs. “and be lookout. This approach is not stealthy <em>at all.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda gives a half-hearted shrug as she moves on, nudging the officers with a foot to make sure they’re down for the count.</p><p> </p><p>“I got impatient.”</p><p> </p><p>There are only sighs in response.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Incoming!</em>” Raven interrupts, and an officer rounds the corner, gun at the ready. He shouts as soon as he sees them.</p><p> </p><p>“Hands up!” he yells, holding the gun up.</p><p> </p><p>“No.” Hilda growls, flexing her fists, and the officer freezes.</p><p> </p><p>“A talking Troll?!” he squawks, startled. “How does a Troll learn how to-“</p><p> </p><p>He goes down before he has a chance to finish.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda turns to see David with his arm extended, other hand gripping his bag of buttons. He relaxes and shrugs at her.</p><p> </p><p>“He was distracted,” he elaborates simply.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks, then turns on her heel, heeding the pull of her internal compass.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go,” she says, and a bit of urgency leaks into her voice. All these fights have taken too much time. “we’re close.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lead the way!” Raven salutes, and they’re off again, Hilda in the lead.</p><p> </p><p>They only have to take a few more turns, passing a few doors on the way, before they hit the end of the corridor. A heavy metal door stands imposingly before them. It looks solid, large hinges keeping it attached to the rock wall and no windows to be points of weakness. The dark sheen of it gives off a dull glare in the florescent lights the line the ceiling, and Hilda places a hand against it. It’s locked, most likely, but there’s another problem.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s got a strengthening spell on it,” she informs her companions. “and it’s iron. I can’t use magic to open it.”</p><p> </p><p>David walks over, examining the door. He taps it hesitantly. “Why does it matter that it’s iron?” he asks, confusion in his tone.</p><p> </p><p>On his shoulder, Alfur grabs a book out of his satchel and flips it open to a bookmark. “From what I know and from what it says in here, iron is repellent to certain types of magic. Fae magic is the most well-known, of course, but it can also affect certain other types of magic, such as Familiar magic. Hilda, I don’t know if you can use othermagic?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve got Troll magic, but I don’t know anything that works on metal,” the Changeling answers, frustrated. “and I can’t move stone yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t you say you could try, though?” David asks, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s about the only way we can get in, probably.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a pulse of encouragement from Frida at the doubt that wells up, and Hilda sighs. If it’s the only way in, well…</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll try,” Hilda huffs. “I don’t know if it will work, but…”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s our best chance,” Alfur says softly, and, with that, Hilda steps over to the wall that holds the door. She places her hands on the rough-hewn stone and grits her teeth.</p><p> </p><p>She does this, and she gets Frida back. She’s <em>so close,</em> now. Her witch is just on the other side of that wall.</p><p> </p><p>But if she doesn’t do this? Well, she can kiss saving Frida good-bye.</p><p> </p><p>And that’s motivation enough.</p><p> </p><p>So she <em>concentrates,</em> and the well of magic within her stirs.</p><p> </p><p>Familiar magic is the easiest to use. It’s always right at her fingertips, and it’s a simple matter to call it to the surface to enact a spell.</p><p> </p><p>Troll magic is different. It’s a deep pool in her soul, and she has to <em>reach</em> to grab even a little bit of it. Illusion and fire magic always sit at the top, so while Hilda may have to concentrate more than a little to use it, it’s still easier than a lot of other magic that dwells in her.</p><p> </p><p>Stone moving is the hardest. It rests near the bottom of her well, and, in all the time she’s been a Changeling, she’s never been able to reach it. It’s always been too hard, and she’s never quite had the right motivation to reach down that far.</p><p> </p><p>But this is different. Now, Frida’s <em>life</em> is on the line, and Hilda’s Familiar and Troll instincts are <em>still</em> a roiling mess, pulling her forwards, urging her to take down everything in her path until she gets her witch back.</p><p> </p><p>She can get through this wall. She <em>has</em> to get through.</p><p> </p><p>So she reaches and <em>reaches,</em> and her magic starts to move, and she <em>grasps</em> it, and the stone under her hands starts to shift ever so slowly-</p><p> </p><p>And the wall opens up. It’s slow, yes, but it <em>opens</em>, the stone sliding away to reveal the chamber Hilda saw through the bond. Dull lights flicker on the ceiling, illuminating the center of the room and the far wall. A metal table sits to the side, covered in papers, a chair facing a line of monitors. A cell with metal bars, carved out of the rock, is guarded by four Patrol officers, guns at the ready. Hilda glowers at that, eyes burning, but it’s the person in the cell that captures her attention.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Frida.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her head and face are covered by her hood, and she looks unharmed, at least from what Hilda can see. She’s standing at the bars, hands gripping the metal tightly. A burst of happiness, of relief, shoots through their bond, and, for the first time in several hours, Hilda feels like everything is going to be okay.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, <em>finally,</em> her witch is within her grasp. She’s <em>right there,</em> in that cell, and it takes all of Hilda’s self-restraint to not sprint over, knock the guards aside, and tear the bars asunder to save her witch.</p><p> </p><p>With the little bit of sense she still has, Hilda holds out a hand behind her discreetly. The officers have guns, and last she checked, none of her friends were as resistant to projectile weapons as she was. <em>Stay there,</em> she hopes she’s communicating. <em>Stay out of sight.</em></p><p> </p><p>She takes a careful step forwards, but-</p><p> </p><p>“Ah-HA! Halt, Troll!”</p><p> </p><p>The one responsible for this finally reveals himself, and Hilda snarls in frustration.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg.</p><p> </p><p>She’s mad- no, <em>furious.</em> Anger, hot and deadly, pools in her core like a Troll-Fire up on the Mountain. <em>He’d</em> taken Frida. Taken her, stolen her away, just because she had magic. Perhaps Hilda won't kill him like all her Trollish instincts are screaming at her to do now that she’s laid eyes on him, but she <em>will</em> make a point. <em>No one </em>takes her witch. <em>No one </em>takes her best friend, the one she would kill for, would suffer a million pains for.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps her eyes are glowing fiercely, in that way Trolls’ do, when fury courses through their stone, ready to attack a threat. Perhaps magic is crackling in her veins, ready to be used to save her witch. Perhaps she is getting stronger, rage replacing reason, hardening her resolve. Perhaps she truly <em>is</em> like a Troll now, vengeance hiding her humanity, only one thought in her mind: <em>save her.</em></p><p> </p><p>Hilda growls a warning at the chief of the Patrol, eyes flashing. She is a Troll now, not a teenage human, and one who is only acting on the instinct of protection.</p><p> </p><p>She steps fully out of the shadow of the rock, eyes trained on the one who had <em>taken her witch</em>. Her only thought now is to <em>save Frida,</em> and she won’t let this idiot get in the way of that.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg grins cockily at her, seemingly confident in his ability to face down an angry Troll. Idiot.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know how you got down here, beast,” he blusters, “but, as you can see, we have you surrounded! Your paltry magic tricks won’t save you now!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s eye twitches. Is he seriously so blind as to not realized she (with some help) got past all the officers she’s encountered so far? She rolls her eyes and takes another step forward. Ahlberg’s hand goes to the gun at his hip, and he holds up a hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t take one more step!” he shouts grandly. “I am the Chief of the Trolberg Safety Patrol!”</p><p> </p><p>“Give me back my witch,” Hilda growls in response, tired of his ridiculous posturing. In the back of the room, Frida snickers quietly, probably amused by Hilda’s exasperation.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg starts at that. “It talks! Did you hear that?!” he whips around to the officers guarding Frida, who also look a bit rattled. “The beast <em>talks!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s very smart,” Frida informs them mockingly, and Ahlberg pauses at that. It looks to Hilda like his dull brain is processing that statement.</p><p> </p><p>After a moment, he snaps his fingers like he’s had a lightbulb moment.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>That’s</em> <em>it!</em>” he exclaims, and Hilda bites back a groan. <em>What now?</em></p><p> </p><p>“This Troll is your cursed Familiar, witch!” he bursts out, pointing at Frida accusingly. “Summoned to aid you! What black magics did you use to make the beast submit to your evil whims?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t make her ‘submit’ to anything.” Frida deadpans, exasperated. “She’s my best friend.”</p><p> </p><p>“So you admit to colluding with the beasts!” Ahlberg yells at her, and Hilda snorts. “Even more reason to take you and your kind into custody! Who knows what chaos you could wreak on this city with your beast if you were free!”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s not a beast,” Frida mutters angrily, and one officer gives her a weird look, but Ahlberg ignores her in favor of turning back to Hilda.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, Troll,” he says grandly, putting his hands on his hips. “surrender, and I will have mercy on you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snorts derisively. No way in hell that <em>that’s</em> happening.</p><p> </p><p>“Give me back <em>my witch,</em>” she repeats, ignoring him in turn. This time, she puts venom into her words. She flicks a fireball into her hand to accentuate her point.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg eyes it, but Hilda can’t tell if there’s any wariness in the look. He <em>should</em> be wary, though. There’s nothing more dangerous than an angry Troll, after all.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, Hilda has learned that Ahlberg doesn’t have enough sense to run from said angry Troll. Never has, in fact.</p><p> </p><p>To illustrate this point, he whips his gun out and points it at her.</p><p> </p><p>“If you don’t stand down,” he intones at her, “I will be forced to incapacitate you. Either way, you’ll still be able to see your witch. Sound good?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m leaving with her.” the Changeling spits, and lunges.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg quickly ducks out of the way, and fires off a round. The bullet misses by a wide margin, but Hilda still flinches. The gunshot rings through the room. If he’s willing to fire at a Troll- who is quicker and stronger than he is- who’s to say he won’t be careful with his shots? Frida and the guards are on one side of the earthen room, and David, Raven, and Alfur are still in the hallway on the other side. Hilda needs to take out Ahlberg <em>quickly,</em> before anyone gets shot.</p><p> </p><p>She tosses the fireball at his feet, forcing him to leap backwards. He aims the handgun again, but Hilda- in a move she’d learned from Amma- immediately follows the fireball with throwing herself at Ahlberg’s feet, curling up as she does so to create a rolling ball of stone.</p><p> </p><p>She crashes into the man, and he goes down, dropping the gun as he hits the floor. Hilda leaps up and kicks it away.</p><p> </p><p>“Foul beast!” he grunts at her, and Hilda growls a warning at him.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg scrambles to his feet, glancing at the gun. In an act of clarity, he looks heabandons the idea of going for the gun- which is behind a snarling Hilda- and reaches for the baton at his side. He tugs it off out of its casing and brandishes it at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Stand down, Troll,” he bares his teeth. “you are outnumbered.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does it <em>matter?</em>” Hilda growls. “I’m a Troll and you’re not. I’m stronger.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, but I’m <em>smarter!</em>” he laughs mockingly. “You are a mindless beast, enslaved to a wicked being-“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Don’t you DARE call her that!</em>” Hilda spits, cutting him off. Rage shoots through her veins at her witch- one of the best people she knows- being called <em>wicked</em>. “She’s ten times the person you’ll <em>ever</em> be! I’ve <em>watched</em> you fail to protect Trolberg and its citizens time and time again. You just want all the glory for yourself, even if you have to hurt others to get it. You are a <em>terrible</em> person, and I <em>hate</em> you! I’ve hated you for <em>years,</em> and now you go and <em>take my witch?!</em> <em>I don’t think I’m the evil one in this room!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>And at that, Ahlberg genuinely looks startled. He splutters. “You’ve <em>watched</em> me?! Who on Earth <em>are</em> you, beast?!”</p><p> </p><p>And, in that moment, Hilda realizes something. Something <em>important.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He has no idea who she is.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Yes, he knows <em>Hilda,</em> the blue-haired teen who’s been getting in his way since she was twelve, but he has no idea the talking Troll before him is that same person.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a bit of relief, in that. If he doesn’t know her true identity, then maybe- <em>maybe</em>- taking Frida was a fluke. If he doesn’t know that <em>she’s</em> Hilda, maybe he doesn’t know Frida’s the one in the cage, because he’s probably smart enough to know that, wherever Hilda goes, Frida will be with her. It’s been like that for four years, after all. Neither of them are ever too far from each other, especially after the whole being-bonded thing happened.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was the hood that kept Frida’s identity safe. Maybe it was that same hood that kept Hilda’s identity safe, too.</p><p> </p><p>And that’s very, <em>very</em> good.</p><p> </p><p>If he doesn’t know who they are, he won’t go after their families, and all of their family members who are magical will be safer, as well.</p><p> </p><p>She grins, and if it’s a touch feral, who cares? Certainly not Hilda.</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she sneers in response to his question, and takes great pleasure in the way that the man squirms under the fire of her glare.</p><p> </p><p>She lunges at him again, but this time, Ahlberg is off his game. The revelation that this talking Troll <em>lives</em> in Trolberg has apparently unsettled him to the point where Hilda has a serious upper hand.</p><p> </p><p>He rolls sloppily out of the way of her punch, which hits the wall and cracks the stone. Hilda wouldn’t have hit him with that much force, no, but it’s a good way to scare him a bit more. It’s a repayment for all the angst he’s put her through these few years.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg stumbles to his feet, baton still grasped in his hand. He’s panting, his body language reading stress and a touch of fear. <em>Good.</em></p><p> </p><p>She stalks towards him, and, seemingly in desperation, Ahlberg raises the baton and charges at her. However, as soon as he gets close, Hilda <em>ducks</em> and lightly steps to the side, causing Ahlberg to miss. He stumbles forwards at the displaced momentum, arms flailing. She laughs at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Nice moves,” she taunts. “kind of reminds me of a forest giant stuck in a river.”</p><p> </p><p>“Foul beast,” he grits out as he regains his balance. His gloved hands grip the baton uncertainly. His eyes glance at something behind Hilda, and she adjusts her stance in turn. He’s up to something.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, I really don’t like it when you call her that,” Frida informs Ahlberg from her cell. She’s taken to leaning casually on the bars, and while her eyes and nose aren’t visible under the hood, her mouth is set in a distinctly annoyed look.</p><p> </p><p>(Which Hilda knows all too well. She’s been on the receiving end of that look more than a few times, after all. You <em>really</em> don’t want to be the target of that look.)</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glances at her and snorts, which is apparently all the distraction Ahlberg needs. He suddenly <em>lunges,</em> and Hilda, acting on instinct, dodges, moving before she can even process what’s happening.</p><p> </p><p>It’s the wrong thing to do.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg sails <em>past</em> her, and Hilda realizes a second too late that it wasn’t <em>her</em> he was aiming for.</p><p> </p><p>It was the gun.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg grabs the weapon, and kicks out a foot to trip Hilda as she tries to move back. She can’t stop herself, and the back of her ankle hits his boot, and she goes down. Her footing slips, she can’t find purchase, and her back hits the cement floor with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. She wheezes as she tries to get her hands under herself so she can get up, but there’s something in her face, now, shiny and metallic. A click echoes through the room.</p><p> </p><p>Ahlberg’s gotten his gun back, and now it’s aimed right at Hilda’s head. The mood in the room takes a 180, and the tension is now so thick it could be cut with a knife.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>NO!</em>” Frida yells desperately in the sudden quiet, pulling at the cage bars in a panic. The guards in front of the cage shift, like they’re not completely comfortable with where this is going. There’s gasps from behind Ahlberg in the the hallway, as well.</p><p> </p><p>“I think I’ve changed my mind,” Ahlberg grins, but there’s no mirth in it. No grandiosity, no boasting. It’s an evil grin, and it sends shivers down Hilda’s spine.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re too much trouble to keep,” he continues, gun still hovering in front of Hilda’s nose. “and there’s no use studying an unwilling subject, no? So,” the hand holding the gun tightens, “I think I’ll just get <em>rid</em> of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda lets out a low growl, but there’s no fear in her, despite facing down her own end. There’s only rage, and regret, and hatred. Rage that this ever happened. Regret that she couldn’t save Frida. Hatred for this terrible, terrible man and his terrible, terrible ideas.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grits her teeth in a snarl. <em>I’m sorry, Frida.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Farewell, <em>beast,</em>” Ahlberg laughs, and-</p><p> </p><p>A burst of purple light.</p><p> </p><p>He falls.</p><p> </p><p>Standing where Ahlberg had been is David, button in his hand and terror in his eyes. From the hallway shoots Raven, lighting crackling over his wings. Before anyone can react, he lets loose a bolt of electricity, and the guards go down. He circles back around and lands next to Hilda, who is still on the floor. David collapses.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my <em>god,</em>” he gasps out. “<em>oh my GOD. </em>Hilda!” and he’s yelling now, and grabbing Hilda’s hand and pulling her up into a sitting position, and wrapping his arms around her- “Please<em> never</em> do that again, okay? I thought we were going to lose you!”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda, stunned, just lets it happen. She’d gone from accepting her own death to being perfectly fine and being panic-hugged in the span of about thirty seconds, and it’s taking some time to wrap her head around that.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a slight pressure on her cheek, the one that’s buried in David’s shoulder, and it takes her another moment to realize it’s Alfur, doing his best to hug her as well.</p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” he pants, “<em>please</em> don’t. That was <em>terrifying.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, I had faith in her,” Raven chuckles from beside her, but it’s strained. He was scared, too, most likely.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Hilda finally manages to get out. She pats David on the back. “I’m alright. Can I get up now?”</p><p> </p><p>Reluctantly, David releases her, and holds out a hand to help her up. Hilda accepts it gladly, and, as soon as she’s on her feet, she rushes over to the cage. Her own safety isn’t her first priority, after all.</p><p> </p><p>“Frida,” she breathes, reaching through the bars, and nothing can compare to the sheer<em> relief</em> she feels when her witch wraps her warm hands around her own stony ones. Hilda laces her fingers through her witch’s.</p><p> </p><p>“I knew you would come,” Frida smiles, and Hilda allows herself a little laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Want to let me out now?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda snaps out of her happy daze. “Right, yes. Back up for a second. I got this.”</p><p> </p><p>Frida releases her hands and takes a step back. Hilda grabs the two bars in front of her, and, with her Troll strength, pulls and <em>pulls</em> at the bars until they bend enough to form an opening wide enough for Frida to get through.</p><p> </p><p>And then Frida’s right there, and Hilda’s right there, too, and, as quick as she can manage, Hilda wraps her arms around her witch and buries her face in her hair.</p><p> </p><p>She lets out a shaky breath as Frida’s arms go around her neck. Her witch is <em>here</em> and <em>in her arms</em> and Hilda isn’t going to let <em>anything</em> separate them again.</p><p> </p><p>Frida runs a hand along her shoulders and presses a kiss to the side of her head, and Hilda can sense that she feels the same.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, so, uh.” David’s voice breaks the moment, and Hilda and Frida look up. Their friend shuffles. “I think this is yours?” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out Frida’s wand.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Frida grins, arms still around Hilda’s neck. “yeah, it is.”</p><p> </p><p>And all five of them laugh. </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>CARTHARIS, BABY! I bet y'all are glad I'm not dragging this out any longer lmao</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Winding Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frida has been rescued, but that doesn't mean everything is perfectly alright.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bleh, I'm sorry this is a bit late. I had a few really late shifts at work this week, so that interrupted my usual writing and drawing routine, so I’m not completely happy with the quality of this chapter :/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even though Hilda would <em>really</em> like to just… savor the moment, she is <em>very</em> aware of the fact that they should probably get out of there. The room only has one entrance, after all, and they could get cornered by officers that have managed to escape the witches. She looks at Frida, and a sense of understanding passes between them.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to get out of here,” Frida instructs, tone no-nonsense. “more officers could show up at any time, and, well,” she grins ruefully, “I’ve had my fill of this place, thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda chuckles, but her mirth is suddenly cut off when she feels Frida start to move out of her arms.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No-</em>
</p><p> </p><p>It’s like her mind goes blank for a moment. There’s a burst of panic at the sensation of Frida’s arms leaving her shoulders, of her body moving away in proximity, and Hilda just… <em>reacts.</em></p><p> </p><p>Without thinking, she surges forward and scoops Frida up into a bridal carry, arms cradling her witch close to her. There’s no logic to it, not really, but it just doesn’t feel <em>right</em> to have her witch any amount of distance apart from her.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha- Hilda?!” Frida yelps as the Changeling sweeps her up. She’s startled, but Hilda can feel- thankfully- that she’s not upset. Just confused, and really, Hilda is, too. She’s honestly not sure <em>what</em> this is, just that it’s a very powerful feeling. An instinct.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda?” Frida repeats, but it’s softer. She gently cups Hilda’s cheek, other arm going around her shoulders to steady herself. “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hilda blinks rapidly. “I don’t… know?”</p><p> </p><p>Half-heartedly, she tries to make her limbs comply and put Frida down, but they just won’t listen. Her <em>mind</em> just won’t listen. She’s still wound up, and her thoughts are all over the place. One thing is clear, though, and that is to get Frida out of this place.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Frida breathes, and Hilda can feel that she can feel that Hilda’s very, very tense. Frida smiles. “let’s just get out of here, okay? Then we can figure this out.”</p><p> </p><p>Wonderful Frida. Wonderful, smart, perceptive, amazing Frida.</p><p> </p><p>No wonder Hilda fell for her.</p><p> </p><p>There’s butterflies in her stomach at the warm, understanding smile Frida gives her, and Hilda takes a deep breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she agrees, huffing out a slight laugh. “this place is terrible, anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Her arms tighten a little bit around her witch, and, with a nod to the others, they exit the place that almost killed one of them.</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>They encounter no more officers on their way back up. They’ve been subdued, thankfully, by all the witches who came to help. Familiars- cats and dogs and birds and lizards and even more- dart down the corridors in all directions, and Hilda- a Familiar herself- can sense that they’re grateful she got her witch back. Familiars support other Familiars, after all, and there’s always worry felt by all witches’ companions when a Familiar’s witch gets hurt or kidnapped. They all know how hard it can be to not be able to help their witches, so they all give Hilda passage when she goes by. A witch’s safety is all Familiars’ number one priority, so they all understand the importance of getting one’s witch to safety after a bad event. Hilda gives thankful smiles to the Familiars whose eyes she catches.</p><p> </p><p>The journey back to the surface seems quicker, now that they’ve got what they came for and they’re not being accosted every hundred feet or so. Hilda, too, is much more relaxed, so she can let her mind wander as they walk along the chilled cement corridors. Frida’s hands rest on the back of her neck, her arms around her shoulders, and they serve as grounding points because, even though Hilda feels like she can let her guard down now, her magic and instincts and what-have-you are still all tangled up inside her. She still feels like she can’t put Frida down, can’t let her out of her sight.</p><p> </p><p>Which <em>probably</em> isn’t good, but, well, that’s something to figure out somewhere that <em>isn’t</em> a bunker under Safety Patrol headquarters.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda is waiting for them when they finally reach the top of the stairs. She lets out a visible sigh of relief when they round the corner, opening the door fully to let them through.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank goodness you’re all alright,” the deputy says, adjusting her hat. “and it is good to see you, Frida. We were all worried.”</p><p> </p><p>“Likewise,” Frida smiles. She lifts one hand from Hilda’s shoulders to pull her hood off her head and give a small wave.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for letting the witches through,” David falls into step alongside Gerda as she motions for them to follow her. “I was running out of charms and I was afraid Hilda would have to, y’know. Resort to drastic measures.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you mean stab them, I really would have,” Hilda calls from where she’s walking with Frida behind them.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Hilda!</em>” Frida reprimands, and the Changeling giggles despite herself as David and Raven both let out disturbed squeaks.</p><p> </p><p>“No stabbing,” Gerda wags her finger at Hilda. “too much paperwork.”</p><p> </p><p>“Agreed,” Alfur calls out from David’s shoulder. “and please don’t murder anyone, Hilda. That’s a <em>little</em> much, even for you.”</p><p> </p><p>She sticks her tongue out at him.</p><p> </p><p>Alfur huffs, then looks like he’s about to go on one of his rants about paperwork or whatever, but Gerda, thankfully, stops at the door they entered through not that long ago. She puts a hand on the knob, but pauses. She turns to them.</p><p> </p><p>“I… was able to find documentation of Ahlberg’s scheme to capture witches. I have no idea how he hid it from me, but it is there, nonetheless. It is also months old.” The deputy sighs, and it looks like she’s much older than she is. This is obviously bothering her.</p><p> </p><p>Gerda continues. “I have enough to go to the City Council, now, and I will ask them to take Ahlberg off the Patrol. I cannot guarantee an arrest, but I am hopeful that, if I can find documentation that he allowed and participated the illegal detainment of a minor, he will face trial for his actions. This behavior is dangerous, and it nearly resulted in injury or death of a teenager.</p><p> </p><p>“I am very sorry for all that you went through.” She directs to the five of them, then nods at Hilda and Frida. “Especially you two. It is apparent how much Frida means to you, Hilda, and how much this event distressed you. Frida, I will make sure Ahlberg faces punishment for his actions. It is the least I can do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Gerda,” Frida holds out a hand. “I’d give you a hug, but I’m a little… <em>held up</em> right now.” She smirks, and Hilda sends <em>exasperation </em>her way. “Will a handshake do, instead?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Gerda laughs, and clasps Frida’s hand firmly. “You’re a very strong young lady. I hope this didn’t effect you too much.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I’m mostly annoyed, actually,” Frida lets go of the deputy’s hand and lets it fall around Hilda’s neck once more. “it was very rude of them to kidnap me on my way to my Familiar’s house.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was <em>very</em> rude,” Hilda interjects as Gerda finally opens the door. It swings outwards, and the first thing Hilda sees is the Mountain looming in the distance. It gives her a sort of peace. She’s rescued her witch, and she didn’t die, and the first things she sees after that whole ordeal is her second home.</p><p> </p><p>The second thing she sees is a worried Kaisa.</p><p> </p><p>The older witch is standing very close to the door, and her violet eyes light up as Hilda steps out.</p><p> </p><p>“Frida!” she exclaims, and relief colors her tone. “You are safe!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep!” the younger witch laughs as Kaisa quickly strides to her, still in Hilda’s arms, and starts checking her over. “Thanks to these ones, here. They saved me.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” David smiles serenely.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa hums as she slips her wand out of her pocket. She mutters something, and waves the now-glowing tip over Frida. After a moment, she stops, and, seemingly satisfied, puts her wand away. Frida tips her head towards her.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I all clear? No residual spells?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope, you should be good to go.” Kaisa nods, then takes Hilda’s shoulder. “Oh, and Hilda.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“How are you feeling? Honestly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh.” Hilda scrunches her nose. “Relieved, happy… okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, not <em>emotionally,</em>” Kaisa waves her hand dismissively. “you should be fine emotionally. No, I meant <em>magically.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda blinks. <em>Oh.</em></p><p> </p><p>“I feel…” she says slowly, turning her focus inwards. “tangly. Like, all my magic is still… unsettled, I guess? And just… really, really protective, actually. Like, I don’t think I can put Frida down right now. Sorry,” she directs that last part to Frida, who huffs.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine. You’re not hurting me or causing any trouble, so it’s okay. Also, it means I don’t have to walk,” she grins, and it lightens the mood a little. Probably the intended effect, actually, but Hilda really does appreciate it. She doesn’t want to feel like she’s being overly weird, or anything.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa bites her lip. “I was afraid of this,” she mutters, and the mood goes right back down. “Hilda, did your Troll mother talk to you at all about how Familiar and Troll magic might combine in volatile ways?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda exhales harshly. “Yeah. Yeah, she did. I definitely felt it happen, too.” she bites her lip. “…Do you think I’m still… not safe to be around right now?”</p><p> </p><p>Her worry radiates off her in waves, and Frida, who can certainly feel it, nestles her head against Hilda’s shoulder and sends back a feeling of comfort.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa tugs at the hem of her cloak. “Yes and no. You are safe to be around in general, yes, but that would change if someone tried to take Frida from you.” She sighs. “Admittedly, I do not know much about Troll magic, and even less about how that might affect Familiar magic if they were to mix, but I can guess that your Troll instincts are telling you that you still need to protect Frida. Can you Change back, at all?”</p><p> </p><p>“I… let me try.” Hilda grits her teeth and <em>concentrates,</em> trying to reverse the magic that facilitates the Change, but… nothing. The knot of tangled magic within her is still roiling, and she can’t pick out the magic needed to become human again.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Hilda deflates. “I can’t. I’m too tense.”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa hums thoughtfully. “I was afraid this might happen. Follow me.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda glances at Frida, then the rest of her friends, and hurries after Kaisa, who has, in the meantime, walked a considerable distance away. The Changeling hears David offer a goodbye to Gerda as he rushes after them.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, where are we going?” Hilda calls after the witch. Kaisa, who has gotten to the fence, raises her wand and mutters something, and the fencing peels apart. She steps aside and gestures for the five to walk through before she responds.</p><p> </p><p>“As I suspected your Troll magic would act up, I took the liberty of contacting your Troll mother. She will meet us at the train tracks.” She starts to walk quickly across the field towards the treeline. The rain, which has been heavy all night, has started to abate, the droplets coming down as mist that reflects the lights of the compound.</p><p> </p><p>“You called Amma?!” Hilda squeaks, hurrying after her. “Wha- <em>how?!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa waves her hand. “I have ways.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>That doesn’t answer my question!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Your human mother will also be there.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>That’s not better!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Frida, David, and Raven have the <em>audacity</em> to laugh at her. Hilda glares at all three of them, and she makes her her eyes are glowing plenty in the pre-dawn gloom for maximum glare impact. It’s <em>not</em> funny, okay?! Both her mums are scary on their own, and she <em>really</em> doesn’t want to be subject to both of their scrutiny so early in the morning after she just completed a rescue.</p><p> </p><p>“Why the train tracks?” David asks as he finally catches up, and Hilda is glad for the change in conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“It is the easiest way in and out of the city without being spotted. It is also relatively unguarded.”</p><p> </p><p>“That makes sense,” Raven comments as they reach the treeline.</p><p> </p><p>Kaisa gestures with her wand again, and the undergrowth peels back to let them through. The sensation of the damp forest floor against’s Hilda’s bare stone feet is a comfort after the cement of the bunker.</p><p> </p><p>They pass the old, rickety shed they’d used to get out this far, and approach the wall. The compound is outside the city, after all, and the entrance the Patrol uses to get in and out of Trolberg is heavily guarded. Nothing gets in or out without clearance.</p><p> </p><p>So they stick by the wall, and follow it around to the opening the train tracks pass through.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a bit of a walk, but Hilda finds that she doesn’t mind. Everything is still, in the pre-dawn of the day. The misty rain hangs in the dark air, and animals rustle about in the damp undergrowth as they pass. The remaining leaves on the trees, the ones that have not yet succumbed to autumn’s winds, rustle as a breeze passes through them. A few fall, and blow past gently. Dawn is a barely-perceptible smudge behind the clouds that still roll overhead, and the lights of Trolberg reflect off of the coils above.</p><p> </p><p>Quiet remarks are traded as they walk alongside the brickwork, but, for the most part, the group is quiet. Hilda finds that her arms do not tire, even though she’s been carrying Frida for a while, now. Must be her Troll strength.</p><p> </p><p>Whenever they pass a belltower, they press a little closer to the wall. Despite the fact that there’s only a couple staffed towers, there is still the possibility of mechanical surveillance- security cameras are a thing, as well as motion-activated lights. Hilda had subconsciously disengaged the technology-repellant spell a while ago, after they’d gotten into the bunker, and there’s no time to recast it.</p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t matter, anyways. They are close, and Hilda has used the opening in the wall that trains pass through more than a few times over the years to get in and out of Trolberg undetected. She knows the security of the area well enough to get the group through unscathed.</p><p> </p><p>The Changeling stops as soon as the stone arch is visible, and quickly steps behind a tree, the others following suit.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” she whispers over their questions. “there’s a camera up on the wall about fifty feet ahead. If we just walk past it, it’ll record us.”</p><p> </p><p>David peers at her from under his hood, which he’d pulled up a while back. “But I thought you used this route a lot?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda huffs, breath steaming in the chilled air. “I do. I figured out a few years ago that, if you hug the wall, the camera won’t see you. It goes side-to-side, but it doesn’t go up and down, and it’s too high up to see the base of the wall.” She eyes the camera. “On my signal, follow me.”</p><p> </p><p>She waits for just the right moment. Her ears pick up the whir of the gears as it slowly finishes turning their way, stopping for a moment, before turning back just as slowly. Hilda waits until she’s sure it won’t see them, then hisses out a quick “<em>Now!</em>” before sprinting out from the cover of the trees. Frida tightens her arms around Hilda’s shoulders at the sudden momentum, and the others make a bit of a racket as they scramble after her. Hilda, heart pounding, keeps an eye on the camera as they sprint towards the wall. It’s still turning, but then it stops- and starts turning towards them again.</p><p> </p><p>Her side hits the wall. She flattens herself against the brickwork, teeth gritted and eyes on the camera.</p><p> </p><p>Halfway back…</p><p> </p><p>Three quarters…</p><p> </p><p>David and Kaisa flatten themselves against the wall next to her. Just in time, too, because the camera has completed its cycle and is now facing the area of grass they just dashed across.</p><p> </p><p>“That was,” David pants, "<em>too </em>close.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re <em>slow,</em>” Hilda retorts, but it’s a response born out of stress rather than actual annoyance. The knot of magic in her soul is still there, still roiling, and avoiding cameras- though easy, in some aspects- is not without its own stresses. She’s also really tired, actually, and she just wants to go home. After making sure Frida is absolutely okay, of course. That’s still her top priority.</p><p> </p><p>So she starts moving again.</p><p> </p><p>The stone of her back scrapes lightly against the wall as she side-steps her way under the camera. It still turns, still continues to monitor the activity outside of the wall, but never looks down. The six of them are able to pass under it, undetected, and breathe a collective sigh of relief when they’re out of range of its unblinking gaze.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda looks up, and the stone arch of the railway opening towers above her. The lights affixed to the top of the arch illuminate the rain around them and the glistening tracks below. Inside the wall, nearer to the city, trains sit quietly on the tracks, ready to be manned and operated if there is a need. The cars that sit behind the engines have been transformed into canvases for graffiti artists looking to leave their mark, despite the fact that it’s illegal. Nobody is out at this wet, dark hour.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody, save for the woman in the yellow raincoat and the canid creature next to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda!” Mum cries quietly, stepping out fully from behind a train car. Twig yelps, hooves making sharp clicking sounds as he bounces happily over the gravel.</p><p> </p><p>“Mum! Twig!” Hilda steps out from against the wall and rushes over. Twig happily knocks his antlers against her leg, and Frida extends an arm to scratch between his ears. Mum hugs Hilda the best she can manage, mindful of the girl she still carries. She sighs.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank goodness you’re okay.” she sighs. “Thank goodness you’re <em>both</em> okay. I’ve been worried <em>sick.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, Mum,” Hilda knocks her head against Mum’s. “I got Frida back, though.”</p><p> </p><p>Mum huffs out a laugh. “Yes, I can see that. Good job, sweetheart.” she smiles. “I’m proud of you. You did good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Mum.” Perhaps a little bit of tension melts away at Mum’s words. She can’t be certain, but she does feel a tiny bit lighter.</p><p> </p><p>It’s a good feeling.</p><p> </p><p>The moment is interrupted by the heavy crunch of gravel from the direction of the woods, and the group turns, startled. Four glowing eyes peer out at them from the darkness of the forest beyond the boundary of the industrial lights. Twig’s ears perk up and he growls.</p><p> </p><p>A Troll.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda peers into the shadows of the forest. No, scratch that- two Trolls. One large, and one relatively Hilda-sized.</p><p> </p><p>She breathes a sigh of relief. So not Two-Heads, then.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda!”</p><p> </p><p>Much better, than Two-Heads, actually.</p><p> </p><p>The smaller Troll steps into the light and hurries over to the group. Her orange eyes are wide.</p><p> </p><p>“The librarian witch lady told us what happened!” Baba screeches to a halt in front of them, gravel being flung every which way. “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey. Yeah.” Hilda smiles tiredly. “We’re all unharmed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ahlberg really got the worst of it,” Frida adds.</p><p> </p><p>“And the other officers,” David grins.</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods. “I punched a couple.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds fun. Why didn’t you invite me?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda shrugs. “Didn’t have time. Sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda.” The two Changelings turn back towards the forest as the other Trolls steps into the industrial lighting. Amma, though impassive as always, has an air of concern around her. Kaisa steps forward.</p><p> </p><p>“It is as I feared,” she intones, and Hilda thinks it’s a tad overdramatic, but, well that’s Kaisa for you. “and as you informed me. Hilda’s magic has made her volatile. She cannot transform back nor can she stray too far from her witch. She needs help, but I cannot do much.”</p><p> </p><p>Baba translates, Hilda adding on what she misses. For all the magic Hilda’s discovered as a Changeling and as a Familiar, there’s still no spell she knows of that can help regular humans and Trolls communicate fluently. Frida and Kaisa have been working on, with help from Hilda and Baba, a sort of sign language that the two species can use to communicate without the help of the two Changelings, but it’s far from complete.</p><p> </p><p>(Baba probably translated for Kaisa when she contacted Amma, but that <em>still</em> doesn’t answer her question as to <em>how</em> Kaisa contacted her. What the heck.)</p><p> </p><p>Amma nods as they finish, and, gravel crunching under her, kneels down in front of the the group. She places a heavy hand on Hilda’s head, thumb gently stroking her hair. Hilda relaxes into the touch.</p><p> </p><p>“I warned you,” Amma chastises lightly, but it’s more concerned than angry. “you <em>must</em> be more careful, Hilda.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Hilda mutters back in Trollish. The others, save for Baba, can’t understand her, but Frida must understand her emotions well enough, because she strokes a hand over the back of Hilda’s neck reassuringly. Hilda presses her chin to the top of Frida’s head in response, taking comfort in the curls that tickle her throat.</p><p> </p><p>Amma sighs. “It isn’t your fault. You are new to all this magic, and you will learn control in time.” She blinks, and her hand slides from Hilda’s head down to her shoulder. “Tonight you must learn some of that control.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda grits her teeth against the agitated swirl of magic that bubbles up from Amma’s words.</p><p> </p><p>“But <em>how?!</em>” she cries, still in Trollish, emotion bubbling in her throat. “I can’t- I’ve been <em>trying</em> to keep myself calm and it’s not <em>working!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“You are trying too hard,” Amma soothes. “you are becoming more agitated because you are still scared. Your witch is safe. You are among trusted companions. Let yourself relax, Hilda. You are not in danger any more, and neither is your witch.”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s brows knit together. Amma makes it sound so <em>simple,</em> but it’s not, it’s <em>hard,</em> and she can’t calm down, not really, because she’s always in danger in Trolberg, where they don’t like magic-</p><p> </p><p>Mum rests her hand on her other shoulder, and Hilda lets out a harsh breath, the sudden contact breaking her focus and letting her realize she’d started spiraling again.</p><p> </p><p>“I may not know what she’s saying,” <em>No duh, Mum-</em> “but she’s a mother, too, and I can get that she’s trying to talk you through calming down. You remember those breathing exercises you’ve been practicing?”</p><p> </p><p>“I… yeah…”</p><p> </p><p>“So let’s do those together, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hilda nods, and, with her mothers’ hands grounding her, breathes in.</p><p> </p><p>“Breathe in, two, three, four,” Mum counts, making an inhaling gesture with her free hand. “Hold, two, three, four, and breathe out, two, three, four, five, six.” She then repeats the exercise, Hilda doing her best to follow along. And, with every inhale-hold-exhale, the knot in her chest unfurls just a little bit. Frida has started to take deep breaths, too, probably to try to help Hilda calm down as well, and her thumb strokes Hilda’s collar bone comfortingly.</p><p> </p><p>Another breath, another bit of magic comes undone. Hilda can practically <em>feel</em> her Familiar magic and Troll magic start to come apart from each other, and the toxic mixture starts to stabilize. Her <em>emotions</em> start to stabilize, and, with a few more deep breathes, Hilda, for the first time in hours, feels like she isn’t going to explode if she takes a wrong step.</p><p> </p><p>A crackle of magic, and skin replaces stone. Heavy hiking boots cover her feet, and a scarf is wrapped around her neck again. Her beret, like it always does, immediately falls off her head.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly, Hilda sets Frida down, and, amazingly, it doesn’t feel like she’s going to attack anyone because of it.</p><p> </p><p>And then she gets hit by overwhelming guilt. She’d held it back in the bunker, but now that everything has calmed down a bit, it looks like it felt like it was the right time to come back in force.</p><p> </p><p>The <em>only</em> reason Frida got captured was because she was coming over to Hilda’s flat, and Hilda didn’t have the courage to <em>stop</em> her. If <em>she</em> had gone over to Frida’s, like she originally planned, none of this would have happened. She could have fought off the Patrol because they had been looking for a witch, and Hilda <em>wasn’t</em> a witch, so they wouldn’t have been able to detain her because she had the wrong type of magic.</p><p> </p><p>She backs away from Frida. <em>God, </em>this is all her fault. Her fault they’re standing here outside the city in the rain at the crack of dawn.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Her fault, her fault, her fault. All her fault.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda?” Frida reaches a hand out to her. <em>Concern</em> washes through their bond. The Changeling’s brows pinch together. They’re all looking at her now. She can’t interpret their expressions through the dark and the rain (and her tears? She can’t tell), but she doesn’t want to.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hilda chokes out, the guilt she’d been holding onto strangling her throat, “I’m <em>sorry.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>They shouldn’t be concerned about her. All she does is mess things up and get people angry at her.</p><p> </p><p>So she turns, and, with a sorrowful glance back at Frida, slips into the dark, wet woods.</p><p> </p><p>“Hilda?! <em>Hilda!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Frida’s voice and concern follows her, but Hilda doesn’t look back.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry, Frida.</em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Holy crap, there's one more chapter left. I can't believe I'm almost done with this. It's been a blast, though, and I hope y'all stick around for one more week, because I plan to wrap this up nice and happily. I can't angst without a happy ending, after all!</p>
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